The One Who Comforts
by vegamarie
Summary: Left alone to deal with the aftermath of Goku's decision to remain in the afterlife, ChiChi is forced with the realization that her husband is not coming back. Where does that leave her, and is there someone who can help her adjust to life without Goku?
1. Abandonment

_I don't particularly like Chi-Chi in Dragon Ball Z, but when I think about how Goku had the unfortunate habit of leaving her (and this does not just include all the times he died protecting the Earth) and forgetting that he had a wife and family, part of me can relate to what she must have felt. So I'm writing this story because I think that Chi-Chi's feelings should be explored. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters. They belong to Toriyama Akira_

_Chapter 1-Abandonment_

She was doing it again, though it was obvious that she was trying her best to hide the fact as she had done everyday for the past three weeks since her husband had died and chosen to remain in the afterlife.

Piccolo let out a sigh of irritation before he leaned backwards and rested his backside up against the tree behind him. Sometimes it felt like the hearing he was granted was more of a curse than anything else, and today was one of those times. Peering through the foliage towards the quaint cottage only a few hundred feet in front of where he was safely secluded in the darkness of the surrounding forest, he narrowed his eyes at the wife of his former rival.

She was outside busying herself with the domestic task of hanging out laundry to dry: the crisp, white sheets whipping around as a gust of wind blew around the house. He watched as she fought with the wind, pushing her dark hair out of her face as she pulled the fabric across the line and then efficiently fastened the sheets with clips before moving onto the next one. However, it wasn't her struggle with putting up the laundry to dry that had caught his attention. Instead, it was the sound of mewling cries and soft sobs that the wind also carried to his overly sensitive ears. And it was obvious to him that she was trying to hide her weakness from even herself, though she was failing miserably at the task.

Grinding his teeth in irritation, Piccolo tried to ignore the sounds of distress coming from the woman who he had little to no tolerance for to begin with. Yet, for some reason that he couldn't fathom, he was rooted to the spot he was in, just as he had been since Goku had died trying to rid the world of Cell. It had become his daily ritual to head out to Mt. Pazou in order to ensure that Gohan was well, yet somehow he had also become an unsuspecting voyeur, watching Chi-Chi as she struggled to once again cope with the loss of her husband.

Not for the first time, he found himself frowning in disgust over the emotional weaknesses that most of the human population seemed to possess. It was true that since his rebirth as the reincarnated Piccolo Daimo, he had learned and accepted that he also contained emotions beyond hate and a thirst for power, especially after becoming Gohan's temporary guardian and his absorption of both Nail and Kami. However, that did not mean he understood the purpose of crying over something that couldn't be changed. It was utterly pointless and Chi-Chi's behavior was only proving to him how foolish she was acting. Shaking his head in revulsion, Piccolo decided that since he couldn't concentrate on meditating with Chi-Chi outside, it was time for him to leave his spot and head somewhere else. Standing up slowly, he closed his eyes and focused on finding Gohan's ki. It only took him a few seconds to find the boy, who was apparently in his bedroom, no doubt studying. Sensing that he was fine, Piccolo turned around and walked away from the hopeless atmosphere that had become a part of Mt. Pazou ever since Goku had taken off on yet another adventure in the afterlife.

* * *

Wrestling with another sheet as the strong wind whipped around her body, Chi-Chi let out a groan of frustration as she found herself becoming tangled within the embrace of the white fabric. Pushing it down and away from her body, her hair blowing in her face, she hefted the heavy material up and over the line and quickly secured the sheet with clothespins before the force of the gale would force it back off the line. It was such a frustrating, monotonous task, yet it was something that helped her to keep her mind off of other things. Some of the time, at any rate.

Letting out a deep breath, she found herself bending over tiredly, looking inside the basket to see what other items she had left to hang out to dry. Pulling out a piece of purple material, she realized it was the top half of one of Gohan's fighting uniforms he used when he sparred with Goku or Piccolo. Rubbing the cloth between her fingers, an inadvertent image of her dead husband popped into her mind. Before she knew it, she could feel a stinging sensation as the tears she was desperately trying to hold back swam at the corners of her eyes. Letting out a sniffle, she buried her face into Gohan's shirt trying her best to not think about Goku, to not think about her own pain, to not think about…

It was a losing battle, and she knew it. Accidentally tipping the clothes basket over with her foot, she watched as the wind picked up the stray articles of clothing and blew them across the grass in front of her. Sinking to her knees in the soft grass, Chi-Chi pulled Gohan's shirt close to her body as she hunched over, letting her tears finally free themselves and slide down her cheeks, dampening the loose strands of her jet-black hair that had been forced out of her bun from the irritating wind.

Biting her lip to keep her sobs from spilling forth, Chi-Chi let her anguish spread across her body. She couldn't understand it, couldn't fathom it. That her husband would willingly choose to leave her and Gohan, this time with the intention of never coming back. Though she knew he was doing it to protect the Earth from any more destructive forces, she wondered if the reality of his decision was somehow based on her, that she had driven him away from his family.

She had never been a patient woman, nor had she been a woman that was easy to get along with. These things she understood about herself, but the fact that Goku was not coming back made her wonder if had chosen to leave because he had decided living with her as a spouse wasn't worth the effort. Maybe if she would have shown him more affection or perhaps if she would have listened and approved of his designs for Gohan's future, been a better support towards Goku's path as a Saiyan fighter, he would have wanted to stay.

Or, perhaps not…

Wiping her face with Gohan's now wrinkled gi top, she pushed it onto her lap and clenched the material in her fists. Looking down the hillside where the items from her clothes basket where clinging to the blades of grass and branches of bushes they had been blown on to, she took in a deep shuddering breath and let out some of the anger she felt creep inside her heart. Maybe it was wrong to feel the way that she did, but besides feeling guilty over his permanent departure from the Earth, she felt abandoned.

In all the years that she and Goku had been married, no amount of nagging or coerciveness on her part had ever convinced him to stay tied to the home they shared here at Mt. Pazou. Goku had always been wildly independent, and he had a stubbornness that most people didn't realize he possessed except when he was in a battle that could determine the outcome of the future for the Earth and its citizens. This in and of itself was not surprising to Chi-Chi, considering he had spent most of his life alone in the wilderness, making his own decisions without needing the input or advice from a second party until Bulma had found him and taken him on his first adventure searching for the Dragon Balls. But it had always made their marriage difficult, which had resulted in her strong disapproval of the lifestyle he led and how it could influence Gohan. She didn't want her own son to end up taking the lifestyle of a wandering fighter, not when he had so much potential within his small body.

She had never imagined that he would permanently run off on her though. And where did that leave her? Was she supposed to grasp onto the fact that perhaps someday, he might decide to come back? Was she supposed to live off the meager amount of savings that they had put away from the tournaments Goku had won, supporting herself and Gohan in the hopes that he might change his mind and return? She knew that her father would help her out where money was concerned, especially where it related to Gohan's education, but she couldn't help but worry over the fact that she was poor and unskilled in anything beyond martial arts and homemaking. She had never held a job before, and the thought of moving away from the seclusion of Mt. Pazou to the city in order to find work was a frightening thought. And she was ashamed; ashamed that her husband had once again left her, and this time he had left her with a partying gift that would most likely evoke pity from the friends and family that she had. She did not want anyone's pity and she did not want to become a burden to those she called friend.

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she tried to put a lid on the emotions that were boiling out of her. Swallowing down some of her pain, she bit her lip as she tried to focus her mind back to the task at hand of having to pick up the scattered clothing blown across the lawn. She was about to stand when she heard a short gasp and turned her head sharply towards the direction it had come from. Her heart sank when she saw Gohan in another one of his purple fighting uniforms, no doubt thinking of going to train somewhere to release some of his own pent up feelings of frustration and depression over the death of his father.

"Mother! Are you okay?"

She watched as he bounded down the front steps and came running over to where she was sitting in a heap, probably looking like a terrible mess. Brushing her hands through her tangled hair, she tried to hide the evidence of her crying, but Gohan was too perceptive to let anything like her condition skip past his eyes. Looking at her in concern, he bent over and put his hand out, waiting for her to grab hold so he could help her up. Hesitating briefly, Chi-Chi slowly took hold of his offered hand and found herself standing face to face with her son, who was now almost as tall as she was. Brushing off pieces of grass and debris from the lawn that were stuck to her dress, she shrugged in embarrassment and then bent over to retrieve the laundry basket.

"Mom? Are you hurt? Is it, umm…is it, you know?"

Turning around quickly, Chi-Chi could see red staining his cheeks over the question he had just asked and she wondered for the first time how much Gohan knew about certain things, things that she still didn't have the courage to tell him about. Putting a smile upon her lips to reassure him, though she felt far from doing so, Chi-Chi shook her head.

"I'm fine Gohan. I just…well, I tripped over the laundry basket. It's nothing more then that."

She knew immediately that Gohan realized she was lying to him, but instead of calling her on it, he simply shook his head in acceptance and then ran down the hill, picking up the clothing that were spread across the lawn. Within a few seconds, he was back, shaking the grass out of the clothes before clipping them on the line.

"There Mom, it's all finished."

Glancing over at her son, she watched as he wiped his hands and stood back, peering at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Feeling leery of what he could be thinking about, Chi-Chi gathered the empty basket and started making her way back to the house. She wasn't ready to deal with a confrontation or questions about things she still had yet to fully accept. Reaching the doorway, she was surprised when she sensed Gohan next to her, opening the door before she had the chance to even move her hand towards the handle. Nodding her head in thanks, she stepped into the house and made her way towards the kitchen and the small laundry room off to the side. Putting her basket away, she headed back into the kitchen, only to find Gohan sitting uncomfortably at the kitchen table, waiting for her to come back.

"I thought you were going to head off to train. I'm assuming your school work is done?"

Walking around the small table to the sink, Chi-Chi turned the tap on and waited for the water to heat up before she put her hands into and washed them, busying herself to help keep her uncertainty and uneasiness at bay. She could not act or look weak in front of her son, especially since she was the sole parent now that Goku was dead.

"It's done but Mom, I'm…I'm worried about you. You're not clumsy and I just wish you'd be honest with me. I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but you can't keep ignoring it either."

Trying to hide her shame, Chi-Chi turned around and put her hands on her hips, making herself look more stern and angry then she actually felt.

"What are you talking about exactly, young man?"

She observed as embarrassment and anger washed across his pale face, his eyes taking on the steely determination that Goku always had around her. Realizing that he wasn't going to let it go, especially when he had the right to be worried about her, she slumped her shoulders in defeat and waited for what it was he was going to say to her.

"I'm talking about you and…and the baby you're going to have."

There. It was out in the open and she knew it would be foolishness on her part to refute such an assertion coming from her own son.

"It wasn't the baby Gohan. I…it's difficult without your father around. You'd think we'd be used to it by now, but…I don't want you to worry about this Gohan. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

She could tell that he didn't think everything would be fine, but he nodded his head in acceptance and slowly stood up from where he was seated. Walking back towards the back door, he put his hand on the latch and then stopped, looking over to where she was still standing, clasping her hands nervously in front of her.

"When's the baby going to be here? Have you been to the doctor? And did…, well, never mind Mom."

It wasn't difficult to realize that the last question he had been about to ask was whether or not Goku had known about the baby before he had made his decision to stay dead. Not wanting to impart her own feelings of abandonment and resentment on her son, she chose to ignore it like he had and instead focused on answering the other two questions honestly.

"In about six months, I think. And, well, with the Androids, your father's sickness and then the battle against Cell, I haven't had the chance to go."

She also left out the fact that she was afraid they didn't have the finances to warrant going to the doctor either, but she decided to omit that information as well. There was no point in needlessly worrying her son about it. He had enough on his plate as it was and she knew he was also dealing with his own grief over the loss of his father. In her mind, he was still a child and he was entitled to his childhood, especially given the fact that he'd faced atrocities most young people his age could only imagine about in their worst nightmares. She didn't want him shouldering any more burdens then he already had.

Thankfully, Gohan accepted this without reservations. Opening the door, he smiled at her and then stepped outside.

"I'm going to find Piccolo and spar with him for a while. I'll be back for supper. See you later Mom!"

With that said, he quietly closed the door behind him, leaving Chi-Chi alone once again.

Letting out a deep breath, she put her hand up to her forehead and closed her eyes. It hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be, telling Gohan about her pregnancy. But she still felt uneasy and upset about things. Pulling away from the counter, she glanced at the clock, seeing that she still had a few hours before she needed to start preparing for the evening meal. Deciding her body craved a nap, she slowly started for the stairs and made her way up to the small room she had shared with Goku up until a few weeks ago, up until he had died trying to save humanity from Cell.

Pushing the door open, she slowly sat down on the soft bed, running her hand over the pillow that had belonged to her husband. Coming upstairs to her empty bedroom always felt like a punch in the stomach, the reality of being left alone open for her to observe. Stilling her hand, she pulled her legs up and then lay down on her back, her eyes taking in the simple wooden ceiling above her. She was alone. He had left her. And part of her hated him for abandoning her, Gohan, and his unborn child: especially abandoning her.

_End of chapter one. I hope you like it so far and feedback is appreciated._


	2. Resentment

_Thanks to the two people who reviewed chapter one. I appreciate it. I hope that those of you who have taken the time to read are enjoying the story. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters._

_Chapter 2-Resentment_

About a month later...

Chi-Chi could sense the bright sunlight on the top of her eyelids, but she was by no means ready to wake up and face the day ahead of her. She could feel a deep muscle cramp near the base of her spine, no doubt from sleeping awkwardly due to her changing body, and the rest of her limbs felt fatigued and sore. It had been twelve years since she had last found herself carrying an infant, and in those twelve years, her body had changed, growing used to doing the domestic tasks around the household instead of being strengthened by the martial arts instruction she had received as a child. However, the day would not wait for her to let her body recover from the added stress of being pregnant. Covering her eyes with her hand to block out some of the sun's rays, she rolled over onto her side and then slowly and carefully sat up.

Placing her right hand on her stomach, she slowly stretched out her aching back and took in a deep breath, trying to dispel any nausea that also had been accompanying her since she first found out she was going to have another child. Yawning slightly, she stood up quietly and stiffly walked over to the vanity across from the end of the bed she had shared with Goku. Glancing at her features in the mirror, she frowned slightly at the prominent circles underneath her eyes, which only accented the few wrinkles she was starting to develop. She looked ghastly, and she only felt all the more depressed since she was once again beginning to sport a bump on her lower abdomen. Even if she decided to try to find another man to take the place of Goku in her life, which she had no intention of doing, in her current state, they most likely would have looked the other way. Not to mention the fact that a single woman in her early thirties with two children wasn't something most men in her age bracket were looking for to begin with. It was a sobering realization.

Frowning at her reflection, Chi-Chi tried to banish her ridiculous thoughts. She didn't want someone to replace Goku, end of story. Grabbing her hairbrush, she ran it through her long, dark hair, pulling apart the snarls that had formed while she slept. Brushing it until it shone, she braided it and then decided to head downstairs and start cooking Gohan his breakfast before it got any later in the morning. He had schoolwork to finish and studying to do.

In a few moments, she was in the kitchen, taking out a large skillet and a dozen eggs she had collected from the chickens she kept in the back. Putting on an apron, she turned back around and started cooking. Breaking open the shells, she cracked the eggs into a bowl and added milk and salt, whipping the mixture up and then pouring it into her skillet. Stirring the eggs back and forth with a spatula, she tried to ignore the continuing ache in her back as she made the first part of Gohan's breakfast.

In a few minutes, the scrambled eggs were finished. Putting them off to the side, she grabbed a loaf of bread she had made the other day and sliced it up, putting most of the slices into the toaster. As the bread toasted, she opened up the refrigerator and took out milk and orange juice, pouring Gohan a large glass of each before pouring herself a small glass of juice to wash down the single piece of toast she would eat.

Making meals was a reprieve to Chi-Chi because it took her mind off of things she was trying not to think about, namely Goku and the impending arrival of their second child. It also helped that as soon as the last piece of toast would pop out of the toaster, Gohan would be downstairs sitting at the kitchen table, ready to eat the food his mother provided that helped fuel his monstrous Saiyan metabolism.

Like clockwork, the last piece of toast shot out of the toaster and into Chi-Chi's waiting hand. Putting it onto a plate, she turned around to see Gohan pulling out his chair at the table, seating himself as he waited for her to put the food on the table.

"Morning Mom," he grumbled as he helped himself to a sip of the orange juice in front of him.

"Good morning Gohan."

Getting past the formalities, Chi-Chi put the food out in front of her son and watched as he served himself, tucking himself in as he ate with gusto. Grabbing her own solitary piece of dry toast and glass of orange juice, she sat down across from him and nibbled on her breakfast, thinking of the things she needed to accomplish that day.

There was more laundry to do, she needed to weed the garden and start harvesting some of the tomatoes she had planted which were ripe and ready to be picked, the chicken coop needed to be cleaned out, and then there was the usual house cleaning and cooking that would need to get done. Thinking of all the chores that needed to be done only added to the fatigue and soreness she already felt. She knew that she should have Gohan help her with some of the work, but she felt his neglected school work was much more important then doing a few odd jobs around the house. He had enough on his young mind as it was without her adding anything more to his own burdens. She knew that he was having difficulty adjusting to life without his father, inwardly blaming himself for his death and the last thing she wanted was to add to it by having him take over in Goku's emptied role. Observing Gohan as he ate a piece of toast, resentment that had been simmering just beneath the surface started to bubble up.

It was one thing to leave her, as Goku had done countless times in the past, but to leave his son angered Chi-Chi more then she thought was possible. Certainly, his decision to stay in the afterlife was supposed to be altruistic, a way to make sure that humanity would no longer suffer from the oppression and degradation of beings who wanted to push their weight around in the universe. But not for the first time, Chi-Chi wondered if Goku had thought out what he planned on doing before he made his final decision. Certainly Dr. Gero had had a vendetta against her husband and so had Freiza, but if what she had been told about Gohan's battle against Cell was true, her husband had lost his title of being the strongest on the planet. Apparently, that title now firmly belonged to Gohan. So what would stop others from coming to their planet in order to try their strength against her boy? And why did he suddenly have to be thrown into the role as the Earth's protector now that his father was gone? She knew that Gohan was a peaceful boy at heart, and the thought of killing or fighting against someone unnecessarily was abhorrent to him. Yet Goku had been willing to throw his own son once again to the wolves, and Chi-Chi couldn't help but feel disgust and revulsion towards her husband for willingly sacrificing their son just as he had sacrificed himself.

"Mom?"

At the sound of her son's voice, Chi-Chi found herself snapping back to reality. Blushing slightly, she looked down and realized that she had crushed her piece of toast into dust. Forcing away her angry thoughts, she pushed her chair back and threw her demolished piece of toast into the garbage can. Walking over to the sink, she started filling it with water so that she could do the dishes. Without looking at Gohan as a way to save face in regards to her odd behavior, she grabbed the skillet she had cooked the eggs in and started to scrub it viciously.

"What are your plans for the day?" Chi-Chi finally asked as she cleared her throat, trying to focus Gohan's attention away from her lapse in behavior.

"I'm going to finish that report on the history and settlement of West City. Then I have algebra to work on and I'm going to get started on my science project for the unit I've been studying on plate tectonics and the Earth's crust. Then, if it's okay with you, I was going to go and visit Piccolo."

Nodding her head in acceptance of his agenda for the day, she finished scrubbing the skillet and laid it on the countertop to dry. Turning back around to grab the rest of the dishes off of the table, she was surprised to find that Gohan already had them piled into a stack, lifting the pile easily and carefully putting them into the soapy water.

"Mom, why don't I finish the dishes? You don't look so good and both Piccolo and I are worried that you're overdoing it with Dad being gone."

Looking at her son, Chi-Chi firmly shook her head no.

"Uh-uh. I'm perfectly capable of washing a few dishes. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm an invalid. Besides, you have school to worry about, not dishes. And what business is it of Piccolo's how I choose to spend my time now that your father is gone? If he's so concerned, then he should show his green hide around here and pick up the slack."

She knew that she sounded petty and short tempered, but honestly, if Piccolo had time enough to find out what was going on in her house, he could make himself useful instead of having her son tell her to take it easy. Turning back to the dishes, she thrust her hands into the soapy, hot water and wiped the remains of Gohan's meal off with a dishrag, giving the clear sign that any and all discussion was over with. Unfortunately, Gohan was just as stubborn as she was and he wasn't going to let her push the issue away.

"Mom, I know you can do the dishes. That isn't the point. You're doing twice as much as you used to since Dad left, and you won't let me help at all! Do you know how useless that makes me feel? _I'm_ supposed to be the man of the household now and you're treating me like I'm still a toddler! _I'm_ supposed to make up for being the one who killed him in the first place."

Stilling her hands in the water, Chi-Chi found herself looking out the window towards the mountains beyond their home. She did not want to fight with Gohan and it hurt her that he thought she didn't think he was capable of taking care of things around their house and that he felt personally responsible for the death of his father.

"Gohan, I know…I know you're capable. But you're still a boy and you have many years left before you should feel the burden of taking care of a family. I want you to enjoy what's left of your childhood, and I want you to stop thinking you're to blame for your father's death. He made a choice Gohan. He chose to take Cell to Kaio-sama's planet to save the Earth from being blown to smithereens. And he chose to stay with Kaio-sama instead of being wished back. Nothing is going to change that fact no matter how much we might wish it could be different."

"But why Mom? Why would he choose to stay away from his family? Especially if he knew that you were going to have another baby?"

Pulling her hands out of the water, she wiped them carefully on her apron and thought about how to respond to that question, one she was still trying to grapple with. Turning around, she watched her son as he tried to stop himself from crying. Walking over to where he was standing, she pulled him into a hug, holding his body close to her own. Smoothing down his wayward hair, she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't be flavored by her own resentment over Goku's behavior and her anger and uncertainty over the situation both she and Gohan found themselves in, nor one that would reveal the fact that Goku had no idea he was going to have another child before he had died.

"Your father…he's just doing what he thinks is best for everybody; you, me and the baby included. He's a hero and a savior, and whatever his reasons for not wanting to be wished back, in his own way, he's trying to do what seems right. I'm sure he wouldn't have stayed in the afterlife if he truly didn't think it would make a difference. I know he misses us, just like we miss him."

She could feel her throat constricting during the last part of her reassurance. It felt like a lie, to say such a thing to Gohan when she felt that Goku was probably having the time of his life without having to worry about the responsibilities of being a father. However, she didn't want to discolor Gohan's ideas about the man who had sired him with her bitter thoughts and negativity. It was just difficult for her to let go of her resentment: resentment that he always seemed to be able to run off and do as he pleased while she had to make due with what they had. In part, she knew it was her own fault. It had always been easier to let Goku do as he pleased and it made her feel important to be in charge of raising Gohan and setting their house in order. When they had first been married, she had thought of their marriage as a dream because of those very things. But as she grew older, she often wondered why she had been so set on having Goku as her husband and if there wasn't something else out there besides the life she had become accustomed too. And now it was too late to ever find out.

Pulling away from Gohan, she shifted her thinking back to him. Giving him a warm smile, she could tell that her reassurance had made him feel better, but his eyes still had a look of uncertainty to them.

"Yeah Mom, you are right that Dad's a hero, but I don't know if he really misses us that much. You weren't on the Lookout when he talked to us through Kaio-sama. Even though he said it would be hard on you and me, he seemed more excited about the thought of keeping his body and fighting powerful opponents in Otherworld then being concerned about how you and I would react to his being gone. But that's Dad, and if you say he misses us, then I believe you."

With that said, Gohan turned around and headed off to his room to concentrate on finishing his schoolwork, leaving Chi-Chi once again alone to mull over what he had just said.

No one had told her what had been said that day on the Lookout except that Goku was dead and he did not want to be brought back to life. That in and of itself and been devastating to her. But to tell Gohan that he knew his leaving would be difficult for them and then talk about how he wanted to fight powerful opponents was like a knife to her gut. It was no wonder to her that Gohan was struggling just as she was to come to some sort of understanding over why Goku would leave them. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to somehow punch her way into the afterlife and beat some sense into her deceased husband. However, she knew even if that were possible, it would do no good. He would insist on staying were he was and the truth was, she didn't even think he would be able to understand why both she and Gohan were grappling over his departure.

Turning back to the dishes in the sink, she finished them quickly and left them out to dry. Walking back upstairs, she poked her head into Gohan's room to check on his progress. Seeing that he was seated at his desk with his books open and his hand furiously taking notes, she turned away and headed back into her own room.

Closing the door behind her, she stepped over to the closet and pulled out one of her many traditional mandarin dresses. Taking off her nightgown, she pulled the dress over her head and sighed when she realized that it was becoming a little snug. Soon, she would have to start wearing her maternity clothes from when she had been pregnant with Gohan, but for the time being her regular clothing would be adequate. Digging on the top shelf of the closet, she closed her hand around a kerchief. Folding it in half, she tied it underneath her hair, pulling it out of her face. Once she was finished dressing herself, she decided that now was as good a time as any to get started on the work that needed to be done, even if it put a strain on her already worn out body.

* * *

Panting and holding his arm in pain, Piccolo decided to halt his sparring match with Gohan for the afternoon. It wasn't that he couldn't keep going, but he had made a decision that as far as Gohan was concerned, the time he spent with him would be better used on things other then just sparring. Making the motion that told the boy their training was halted, he powered down and landed on the hillside they had decided on using for their daily spar. Folding his long legs underneath him, he seated himself and waited for Gohan to find his way over.

Their spar had been going well, but Piccolo could tell from experience that Gohan wasn't himself today, nor had he been himself in a while. Frowning, he wondered if Chi-Chi's melancholy had started to infect the boy. If that were the case, he would have to have a chat with her about it, though he was loathe to voluntarily subject himself to such a task. Just watching her out of a sense of duty towards Gohan was enough to make his stomach clench and his teeth grind in irritation, and talking to her would only end up in a shouting match, not something he wanted Gohan to have to witness. But she needed to take better care of herself and she needed to accept the way things were, even if such a task was difficult for her.

Deciding that thinking about her was only going to make him angry, he closed his eyes and concentrated on meditating until Gohan came over to where he was sitting. Within a few seconds, he felt Gohan's presence when the boy dropped down next to him, the movement of the air as it whistled past his ears alerting him to where Gohan was.

Opening his eyes a crack, he glanced over to where Gohan was seated and observed him as he pulled his knees up and carefully rested his chin on them. Seeing him like that, Piccolo knew it would be only a matter of time before he decided to speak up and hash out whatever was on his mind that was bothering him.

"I told Mom that you think she's overdoing it."

That surprised Piccolo. Snapping his eyes open, he looked directly at Gohan and grunted.

"I didn't mean to bring you into it, but she won't listen to me about anything. All I wanted to do was help with the dishes, but she has this idea in her head that she'll be taking away from my childhood or something if she has me help out around the house. I don't understand her sometimes Piccolo!"

_Well_, Piccolo thought, _I don't understand her either kid._

Clearing his throat, he asked the only question he could think of, not liking the idea that Chi-Chi was probably now going to be the warpath against him for telling his opinions to her precious son.

"What did she do when you told her?"

Gohan grunted sourly and then grabbed a rock that was next to where he was sitting. Picking it up, he tossed it down the side of the hill and then flopped down on his back, his hands cradling his head as he looked up into the sky.

"What else? She yelled at me and said that if you were so worried about her, you could show up and pick up the slack. I know she means well and everything, but she's so…so _frustrating_ sometimes. I don't understand half the things that are happening to me, and she doesn't talk to me about anything unless she thinks it's appropriate for me. I just want to prove to her that I'm old enough and strong enough to handle whatever it is that she thinks I can't. Besides, I don't like seeing her tired all the time and I hate hearing her cry when she doesn't think I'm listening. Sometimes I wish I could see Dad just so I could punch him for leaving Mom like that."

To hear Gohan, who was usually so good-natured it made Piccolo wonder if he was entirely normal, talk about punching Goku was a sobering moment. He had known for the last couple of months since Goku had died that things were not well in the Son family household, especially since he had decided to take Gohan under his wing once more since the boy was fatherless yet again. He knew that humans grieved for their loved ones, so he had expected that spirits would be low. What he hadn't expected was to see Chi-Chi pushing herself to the max to make up for the lack of Goku's presence and to have Gohan turn into an inwardly angry individual.

Glancing over at Gohan, Piccolo let out a short sigh.

"Kid, punching your father won't change anything."

"I know that Piccolo. But…why did he have to leave us like that? Mom misses him so much and so do I. And to just take off even though he knew Mom was going to have another baby, I can't figure out what he was thinking. I asked Mom about that."

Raising his eyebrow slightly looked at Gohan with a glint of admiration in his eye. The boy had courage to ask such a question of Chi-Chi, if nothing else.

"What did she say?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Gohan looked off to the side before answering.

"She said he was a hero and that he was doing what he thought would be best for everyone, including the baby. But then I told her how Dad had been so excited about fighting dead guys in Otherworld. I kind of feel bad about that, but she always makes him out to be this great guy. I just wanted her to know what I know, to find out that Dad isn't as wonderful as everybody makes him out to be."

To say that Piccolo was surprised at Gohan's statements was a slight understatement. Never, not in the entire time that he had known Gohan, had he heard his student talk in such negative terms about his father. To hear him speak in such a way made Piccolo slightly uneasy. It was becoming abundantly clear that whether his intentions had been good or not, Goku had inadvertently opened up emotional wounds that were festering within both his son and his wife. For the first time since Goku had made his decision to stay deceased, Piccolo wondered if his former rival had clearly thought about how his decision would affect his loved ones.

"Piccolo, why do _you_ think he left? And tell me the truth. I'm tired of people hiding things because they are afraid I won't be able to handle it. If I could fight against Vegeta, Frieza, and Cell, then I should be able to take whatever opinions you have to say about my Dad."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Piccolo looked away. In all honesty, he didn't know what to say to Gohan. He didn't like the idea of his student having negative thoughts in regards to his father, but he supposed it would be difficult not to given the situation. Still, he did not want to pour salt into the kid's wounds. Choosing his words carefully, he told Gohan what he thought.

"Your father is a Saiyan, and he's powerful. Powerful people, no matter if they are good, always attract others who want to beat them. He decided to stay in the afterlife because he thought it would be safer for the Earth if he did so."

Observing Gohan, he noticed as the boy's eyes narrowed at his statement.

"Come on Piccolo. I was there. I know why he said he decided to stay with Kaio-sama. Why can't anybody just give me a straight answer for once? I'm not stupid!"

With that said, Gohan stood up abruptly and was about to blast off angrily when Piccolo grabbed his arm and pulled him back down next to where he was sitting, knowing full well that if Gohan decided to take off, there was nothing he could do to stop him from leaving. However, Gohan wasn't the type to storm off unnecessarily and he was genuinely curious to find out what Piccolo was going to say. Plopping himself back down, he folded his legs inward and hunched over, waiting for Piccolo to let go of his arm and finish what he had been trying to say.

"Gohan, I don't know your father's reasons. All any of us can do is make conjectures as to why he decided to stay in Otherworld. I know that he genuinely wanted to protect the people of this planet. He's been the protector ever since he first met Bulma and inadvertently stopped Emperor Pilaf from making a wish to become the leader of this planet. And he stopped me from taking over as well, back when we were enemies. But he's always been an adventure seeker and so I'm sure the pull of being able to test his Saiyan strength and abilities out would be a tempting proposition for him. However, I don't think he would make a decision like that without carefully thinking it through and weighing in the pros and the cons. Those are my thoughts, for what it's worth."

"Yeah, but Piccolo, there's just one thing that's wrong with the whole picture. If he decided to stay away because of how powerful he's become, what about me? I'm…I'm stronger then Dad was when he died. How is his being gone going to keep bad people away from Earth? And what about Vegeta? He's a pureblooded Saiyan just like Dad. How come he's still here instead of going off on some adventure? It just doesn't add up."

What could he say to Gohan to reassure him about his father's intentions? Feeling frustrated both with himself and with Goku for leaving his son and wife in such ridiculous emotional turmoil, he wanted to blast something. Deciding that would not be a wise idea, he once again turned and looked at the boy.

"You are strong Gohan and whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility along with the rest of the Z-senshi to protect the people of this planet from harm. I don't have the answers Gohan about why your father made the decision that he did. Maybe he decided to stay away because he knew you could handle it. Whatever the reason, the only way you'll ever find out is if you talk to him yourself. So instead of dwelling on the reasons why you think he decided to stay dead, move on with your life and make the difference that I know you can. The same can be said for that shrew of a mother of yours."

He could see that Gohan still wasn't satisfied with his answer, but there wasn't any other way to phrase his thoughts, especially since he was also uncertain about Goku's motives.

"Thanks Piccolo for being honest with me. It…it means a lot to me that you take me seriously and don't just think of me as a little kid."

Grunting a reply, Piccolo turned his eyes back in front of him, looking at the expanse of land that fell away from where the two of them were seated.

"It's probably time for you to get back. I'm sure the last thing you want is your mother yelling at you because I kept you later then I should have."

Glancing over at Piccolo, Gohan shook his head and then slowly stood, stretching out his muscles that were aching slightly from the workout he had gotten sparring with his mentor and friend.

"Alright Piccolo. I'll see you tomorrow. And thanks for listening. Sometimes, I just…"

"You don't have to explain. I understand more then you think."

Smiling slightly at Piccolo, Gohan waved good-bye and then took off back towards his house.

With Gohan gone, Piccolo shifted his position slightly and then tried to settle back into a deep meditative state, but his conversation with Gohan kept interrupting his thought process. He couldn't get it out of his mind how negative Gohan had become recently, nor could he stop thinking about Chi-Chi and how her behavior was also affecting her son. In truth, he shouldn't have even cared or been concerned, but he had found that over the years, whatever was threatening to Gohan was something he could not let go of. Therefore, he once again found himself standing up and making his way to the edge of the woods closest to the Son household.

Taking a seat underneath a tree, it didn't take him long to find Chi-Chi. She was out in the middle of her garden pulling out what he thought were most likely weeds and tossing them into a growing pile. Her hair was pulled out of her face, and there was sweat dripping down her cheeks as she labored to keep her garden suitable for growing the vegetables she and her son would live off during the winter months.

Watching her, he could tell immediately that she was exhausted by her body posture and that she was in pain from her frequent attempts to rub and stretch out her back. He didn't understand her foolish stubbornness and he decided that it was finally time for him to intervene and knock some sense into the crazy woman. Gohan came first and he would do anything in his power to make sure that he wasn't worrying unnecessarily about things that he couldn't control, such as his mother's behavior.

Standing up, he leisurely made his way over to where she was bent over in the garden. Stopping directly behind her, he waited for her to notice and acknowledge his presence.

After a few minutes, he observed as Chi-Chi straightened up and then stood, picking up the basket that was next to where she had been kneeling in the garden pulling up the weeds. Without even looking at him, though he knew that she realized he had been standing there, she started to walk towards the house. Growling deep in his throat over her blatant slight, he took a step towards her and finally spoke up, pushing his pride temporarily to the side.

"Chi-Chi, there are some things that you and I need to discuss and running away and hiding isn't going to change anything."

Gazing at her backside, he noticed when she visibly stiffened before she quickly turned around and faced him.

There was no mistaking the fact that she was angry and that her anger was directed at him. Folding his arms, he mentally prepared for the verbal onslaught that he knew was about to come.

"There is nothing to discuss! _Nothing_. Stop concerning yourself with Gohan and myself. We are perfectly able of taking care of ourselves without having you hanging around and spying on what goes on in our home."

Snarling at her, it was all he could do not to go over and haul her up by her shirt. She wasn't making any sense that he could make out and he couldn't understand why she was being so stubborn when it came to her health and the well being of her son.

"I beg to differ. Do you think Goku would like to see you the way you are right now? Or how your behavior is worrying your son to the point where he's afraid you're going to hurt yourself?"

He knew he had touched on the sore spot the moment he said Goku's name because Chi-Chi's demeanor suddenly changed. Her shoulders hunched forward slightly as though she were ashamed, but her eyes looked like they were shooting flames at him.

"Do I think Goku would like to see me like this? The honest answer to that question is he wouldn't give a damn. He wouldn't see me at all. If he were here right now, he'd be off training, leaving me to do everything that I'm doing at this very moment. That part hasn't changed at all. But what am I saying? He's not here is he? He's not coming back. Not for me, not for Gohan and not for his unborn child. He doesn't care and you'd be smart just like him to not care either."

With that said, Chi-Chi turned back around trying to not start bawling in front of him but he wasn't going to let her run away. Phasing in front of her, he saw her shocked face as he gently grabbed hold of both of her shoulders.

"It doesn't really matter what Goku thinks anyway. What does matter is your son and I am not leaving until things are satisfactorily settled between the three of us. If you won't take responsibility for him, then I will. End of story."

He could tell she was angry but he was beyond the point of carrying. Somebody had to finally knock some sense into her, and if it had to be him, so be it.

_Piccolo's taking some action to get Chi-Chi back on track. How will Chi-Chi react? Find out in the next chapter. Please let me know what you think._


	3. Anger

_Thanks again to the people who have reviewed. It is appreciated. Here is the next chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of it's characters. They belong to Toriyama Akira.  
_

_Chapter 3-Anger_

Clenching her fists tightly, Chi-Chi could not even begin to fathom the nerve of the Namek standing behind her, acting as though he had some…some _right_ to discuss with her the happenings of her family. Who was he to act like he could even begin to understand what she and Gohan had been trying to endure for the last couple of months since Goku's death? And how could he even think to bring up her deceased husband into the equation, as if Goku would actually care whether or not she was suffering? It was as laughable as it was insufferable and there was no way she could let his comments go without rectifying the situation, to point out how arrogant his assumptions about Goku and herself were.

"Do I think Goku would like to see me like this? The honest answer to that question is he wouldn't give a damn. He wouldn't see me at all. If he were here right now, he'd be off training, leaving me to do everything that I'm doing at this very moment. That part hasn't changed at all. But what am I saying? He's not here is he? He's not coming back. Not for me, not for Gohan and not for his unborn child. He doesn't care and you'd be smart just like him to not care either."

With the bitter and angry words spilled across her lips, her courage at facing Piccolo suddenly left her and with its departure came a deep sadness that her husband whom she had pledged her love to could leave her like this. Not wanting to shame herself by breaking down and crying in front of her husband's former enemy, Chi-Chi whirled back around and tried to save face by marching resolutely back to her small house. However, apparently Piccolo had other ideas in regards to whether or not their conversation was at an end.

She found herself face to face with him, his eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a terrifying snarl, exposing his overly large fangs for her to view as he grabbed a hold of her shoulders and pulled her towards his towering body. However, she wasn't going to let him intimidate her, even if deep down inside, Piccolo's presence unnerved her. Standing stiffly, she tried to pull away but Piccolo was much stronger than she was and she knew that he wasn't about to let her leave until he had his say.

"It doesn't really matter what Goku thinks anyway. What does matter is your son and I am not leaving until things are satisfactorily settled between the three of us. If you won't take responsibility for him, then I will. End of story."

She could feel her eyes widen before the anger that had been building inside her for months suddenly erupted. It was as though she had completely snapped and the man standing in front of her was the catalyst that caused her imminent explosion.

Shrieking, she used her head as a weapon and crashed the top of it up into his chin. Not expecting such a violent display from Chi-Chi, Piccolo was taken by surprise. She could hear him grunt as the force of her blow caused him to bite down on his tongue, purple blood splattering over his white teeth and dribbling down his chin onto her hair before he let go of her body.

He backed away a few inches, his eyes suddenly snapping with a fury similar to what she was experiencing. Not waiting for his inevitable reaction towards her violent behavior, she pushed herself forward and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could muster, but all that resulted was her fist being caught in Piccolo's hand. Even though she was furious and her anger had heated her blood to the point that she was willing to damage herself and the baby she carried in physical confrontation, Piccolo's reaction speed was such that even though he was still surprised by her attack, he managed to grab hold of her once more in her moment of vulnerability. Using her hand as leverage, he yanked her towards him and wrapped his large arms around her body, holding her against him in a tight embrace so that she couldn't move.

Struggling against him, she kicked her heels against his shins but it was like attacking a statue. He had her in a tight grip and he wasn't going to release her until he was sure that she was in control of herself. The last thing he wanted was for her to damage herself in a moment of anger induced stupidity.

He let her kick him and try to bite him with her mouth, but he held steadfast until he could sense her desperation give way to exhaustion. After a few minutes of continued struggling, Chi-Chi could feel her limbs as they became heavier and the desperate and irrational anger that had suddenly flooded her system disappeared as quickly as it had come. Going limp in Piccolo's arms, she crumpled to the ground as soon as he released her and stepped away, covering her face with her hands as she once again found herself weeping.

An awkward silence seemed to fill up the space between them, the only sound being made were her sniffles and choked down sobs as her shoulders shook from her effort to contain her emotions.

"Stop crying."

Looking up in surprise, she found Piccolo seated across from her with his arms crossed and his face set in a resolute grimace. She hadn't heard him settle next to her, so intent on trying to quell her humiliation at losing in battle against him and then breaking down into a sobbing mess. Wiping her tears away with her fist, she took in a shuddering breath and then looked at her lap.

"It's not like I enjoy crying, you know. I just…I just haven't been myself lately."

She could hear Piccolo grunt in agreement, but that only added to her own sense of inadequacy and humiliation. How much of this had he seen in the last couple of months since Goku had died? Up until a week ago, she had been blissfully unaware that the giant Namekian was continually monitoring both her and Gohan. Only a few times had she ever felt as though somebody or something was watching her and her son. But last week as she found herself once again laboring in the garden, that sensation of being watched flooded her system and with it came the realization that she could recognize who was observing her work. It was creepy and disturbing, yet there hadn't been any way for her to prove her suspicions without alerting Piccolo to the fact that she knew what he was up to. So she had let it go. Obviously, if he had meant to harm her or Gohan, he would have done so already and she had a feeling his watching was more as a protective response towards her son then anything else. Yet it didn't sit well with her that he knew just how much she was struggling with Goku's departure, nor did it make her feel any better that he thought she was acting like an unfit mother to her son.

"I'm doing the best I can and I resent the fact that you think you could do any better."

Poking her head up, she noticed Piccolo's eyes narrow slightly at her statement.

"I never once said that I could do any better than you. However, I draw the line at the point where your son so worried about you and how you are dealing with the loss of Goku that it takes away from his own well being. Do you have any idea how worried he is about you and how your stubbornness in not allowing him to take on some sort of role around the house has caused him to feel valueless in front of your eyes? Normally, I wouldn't even bother concerning myself with you, but Gohan comes first and if he's making himself sick and uncertain because you can't get a handle on things, then I don't have any other alternative but to become involved."

Pursing her lips disdainfully, Chi-Chi snorted angrily through her nose at his comments before firing a retort.

"I have a handle on things. This isn't the first time that I've been left alone to fend for things, nor will it be the last. I mean, god forbid that Goku could ever stick around longer then a period of three years without something happening to him. And since when do you know anything about taking care of a family, huh? I know what you put Gohan through after Goku died the first time. You left him…you left him to survive in the wilderness alone when he was still only a baby! And yet you think you know more about what it means to raise a child. I don't know when you decided you had any rights to Gohan or to this household, but it can stop at anytime. We…don't…_need_…_YOU_!"

It was like the dam had finally been breached, and whether she wanted to or not, Piccolo had become the focus of her anger: anger that she couldn't take out on the person who more or less truly deserved it. Forgetting her earlier fear and humiliation, she stood up and walked over to where he was seated. Putting one of her hands on her hips, she jabbed him in the forehead with her other hand. Piccolo certainly wasn't expecting that sort of reaction from her, so he just sat where he was with his brows raised in curiosity mixed with derision.

"Gohan is my…he's my son! Not yours, _mine!_ Stop interfering with things you don't understand, could never understand! What are you but a demon anyway? You tried to kill Goku, you took away my son from me, and now you're thinking of doing it…doing it again! And I won't let you! Do you hear me? I…won't…_let_…_YOU!_"

At this point, Piccolo had had enough. He was tired of listening to her tirade, especially when all she was doing was making wild guesses as to what his true intentions were. And on top of everything else, her comments about saying he couldn't understand what it meant to be part of a family, to care for someone other than himself, hurt. He'd unintentionally learned what it was like when he had kidnapped Gohan all those years ago after Goku died fighting against Raditz. She wasn't thinking clearly and for some reason that was unknown to him, seeing her in such a state of distress bothered him more than it should have. Instead, he should have felt scorn for her idiotic comments and concerns but he didn't. Not wanting to waste the time trying to figure out why his thinking was skewed, he abruptly stood up, knocking Chi-Chi off balance. Grabbing her hand so that she wouldn't end up falling back into the dust, he watched as her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed before she hastily stepped away from him and his inadvertent bodily contact with her. Clearing his throat, he interrupted her before she could once again open her mouth and aim acidic barbs at his tough hide.

"Would you just be quiet? You are making absolutely no sense whatsoever, and you are jumping to wild conclusions without thinking anything through thoroughly."

"Well, what am I supposed to think? You come here telling me how you have to become involved because I'm not taking proper care of Gohan! The last time you became involved was when you took my son without even asking me if that was okay or not!"

Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Piccolo closed his eyes briefly and tried to center his thoughts and his own anger before he lashed out at her for being such a temperamental witch. It was difficult to continue reminding himself that she had just lost her husband and she had the stress of raising not one, but two children alone out here in the relative remoteness of Mt. Pazou. But one could only take so much, and that included him.

"Enough! Shut your mouth and listen before you spout off anymore asinine comments about what you think I intend to do with Gohan! _Sit_!"

Barking out the last command, he was slightly surprised to see Chi-Chi's shocked face as she slumped back down into the grass. No doubt, it was the first time anyone had ever stood up to her bullying tactics and given her an order that was meant to be obeyed immediately. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Piccolo followed suit and once again found himself with his arms crossed facing a sullen and angry looking Chi-Chi.

"I have no intention of taking Gohan away from you. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. But for his sake, you need to start taking care of yourself. Yes, you are a strong willed and strong-bodied individual, but you aren't invincible. And your attitude and lack of common sense when it comes to your own well-being is worrying your son and making him miserable. He already feels guilt enough over Goku's death, and your attitude isn't helping him to get over his grief. You have to stop this Chi-Chi. You're only going to end up destroying yourself in the end, and what good would that do?"

He could tell she was listening to what he had to say, and part of him felt relief over that. She could be even more stubborn than he was, and in this instance, her stubbornness was going to be her undoing if she didn't get it under control. Relaxing his position slightly, he waited patiently to see what she would say, if she would say anything to him at all. He didn't have long to wait.

"You make it…you make it sound so easy. But it isn't that simple! Do you think if I had a choice I'd be out here doing the things that I'm doing just to make sure we can get by? I'd have left by now if that were the case. I'd have burned this hut to the ground and moved as far away as I could just so I…just so I could forget the memories and the pain of being left behind. I'd start all over again. But…but it's…it's impossible for me. There's nowhere for me to go, and there's no way I can ever forget…forget him. And I hate it."

Rubbing his forehead in irritation, Piccolo watched for what seemed to be the millionth time as Chi-Chi dissolved into another set of tears. He was really starting to tire of her overly emotional states, yet he supposed he could understand on a base level that she was trying to release some of her own misery and loneliness. Peering at her, he relaxed his arms slightly before trying to help her see that she did not have to be stuck in the rut she was in.

"You can make things as easy or as difficult as you like. No one said getting over the death of someone close is easy, but you have a son who would like nothing more then to help you out, yet you won't let him be a part of that. I'm not saying I understand human tendencies, but don't you think you're going about things backwards? If Gohan wants to step up and take responsibility for things, let him. Stop trying so hard to keep him from growing into the man he will eventually become. He's ready…no he needs this challenge."

"I just…I just wanted him to have his childhood back again. He's never really had one, except for when he was very young…before Goku's brother came here and everything changed."

Piccolo studied Chi-Chi as she sniffed slightly and then leaned back on her arms, looking up at the clouds as they lazily floated past on the breeze.

"Gohan can still be a child with you, if that's what you want. All I'm saying is that you need to let him help out besides just having him do his schoolwork. It wouldn't kill you to let him pull up the weeds from the garden, or hang out the laundry, or do any of the other pointless things you do around your house. And if you…I'll stay around and make sure things get done until your other child is born."

He wasn't sure why he had just made that declaration. Grimacing inwardly, he felt like a total and complete idiot. It was one thing to watch over Gohan in order to make sure he was well, but to volunteer to help Chi-Chi out with her useless domestic duties was not something he would have normally done. Yet he was once again at a crossroads with Gohan being the mitigating factor. He did not want his student to continue agonizing and worrying about things that were out of his control. Letting out a rueful sigh, he wondered how much of this decision was because of Kami's influence. And if that were the case, he was sure his good counterpart was laughing within him.

"You'd…you'd help out? Why would you do that?"

Looking at Chi-Chi, he answered her honestly.

"I have no idea."

"You have no idea?"

It was like a light had been suddenly switched on within Chi-Chi. At first, he thought she was crying again, which disturbed him slightly, but in an instant, her head was thrown back as peel after peel of laughter bubbled forth from her. Frowning darkly at her, he tried to make her stop by giving her a death glare, but the sound was so refreshing after hearing her cry for the last few months that he found his own lips quirking at their edges.

He could see as she fought to control her mirth and within a few minutes, she was taking in deep breathes of air as she held her stomach with her hands.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just that…well, I mean, it's unexpected. You don't have to help out. I'll…take your words to heart and have Gohan help were he sees fit. I don't want him to worry about me either, and I guess I've been too blind lately to see what my attitude has been doing to him."

Nodding his head in affirmation of her statement, Piccolo felt slightly conflicted. He had promised her, in his own way, that he would help. And in order to make sure that she was doing as she said, he would have to continue monitoring her and Gohan's behavior. Standing up, he walked a few steps backwards and then turned away from her.

"No. I'll…do what I can for you and Gohan. And I'll be making sure that you are fulfilling your obligations to him as his mother. That means if you need money for items, not being to proud to ask your friends for assistance. That means going to see the doctor, which I know you haven't done since you realized you were going to have another child. It's my duty to make sure you do those things for yourself because…because I too have an obligation towards your son."

"Now just wait one second. I gave you my word Piccolo. I'm not going to back out of it even if doing some of those things goes against my pride. Your concern is appreciated, I suppose, but…"

Turning back around, he set his eyes on hers, locking gazes with her. He wasn't entirely sure what was prompting him to take such drastic action, but it felt…it felt right to him for some strange reason. He didn't care if his interference made her upset or angry. It was all about Gohan for him, and he had made a promise to himself to make sure the lad was well cared for and well provided for.

"There are no buts, Chi-Chi. This isn't something you can argue your way out of. I'm not like Goku and I'm not going to be cowed into submission just because you don't agree with what I'm going to do. You haven't proven to me that you can take care of things, so I'm just ensuring that you will, nothing more. And I'll be bringing Dende over tomorrow when I see you again."

Licking her lips and trying not to tremble at the fierceness in Piccolo's eyes, Chi-Chi asked him why he would bother to bring Dende all the way out to Mt. Pazou.

"Because, I know you won't go see the doctor and he can make sure that everything is fine with you and the child you harbor within you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my leave. Tell Gohan I'll see him tomorrow."

With that said, Piccolo used his ki to push himself upward and off the ground, leaving the Son property in a gust of wind.

Rubbing her arms absently, Chi-Chi silently viewed Piccolo as he climbed high into the sky, no doubt heading towards the Lookout. Finding herself alone once again, she felt the breeze as it rippled her dress before she slowly exhaled the breath she was holding inside.

What had just happened? How had she lost her control so badly? She had attacked him…attacked Piccolo. Shuddering slightly at how foolish she had acted, she found herself chewing on her bottom lip as she let his conversation take root in her mind. He was going to be watching her, keeping an eye out to make sure she took care of herself for Gohan's sake. On the outside, she felt offended that he didn't trust her and angry that he had forced his way into the inner workings of her family. But deep down, on the inside, she felt flattered that somebody actually cared enough about her to want to make sure she was alright, even if that wasn't completely the case. She had no question in her mind that Piccolo was only acting in such a manner because of Gohan, but for the first time since Goku had left, she could feel the bud of something positive growing within her. She wasn't sure what it was, or what it meant, but she had no doubt in her mind that it was because of Piccolo. Piccolo.

_How will things shape up between Chi-Chi and Piccolo? Will he keep his word and will Chi-Chi be able to stand having an outsider push their way into her family? Find out in the next chapter. And if you would like to leave a review, it would be much appreciated._


	4. Tolerance Confusion

_Another chapter up already. I would have to say I'm on a role, as this doesn't usually happen. But I would like to finish this story before the unfortunate mundane duties of everyday life come knocking on my door. I hope you like it, and I give you fair warning: I seem to like writing dream sequences in my stories, so beware of the one that will make an appearance in this chapter. Also, thanks so much for the wonderful reviews I have received. As I have said, they mean a lot to me!_

_ Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters._

_Chapter 4-Tolerance/Confusion_

_About two months later…_

The afternoon heat was becoming unbearable. Gingerly sitting down on the old sofa in the living room, Chi-Chi let out a sigh that spoke of her fatigue and discomfort. Using the wooden coffee table in front of the couch as a prop, she put her feet up, giving relief to her swollen ankles. Absently stroking her visibly expanding mid-section, she closed her eyes intent on only resting for a few minutes.

With her eyes shut, her mind drifted upon a sea of never ending thoughts. How long had it been since Goku had died? It was already mid-September and abnormally warm for this time of year, so counting back, it had already been close to four months. Yet strangely, it felt like his death had happened even longer ago than that. Her sense of time was skewed, most likely because of how things had changed around here since his departure for herself, Gohan, and the child within her. Things were definitely different than before, but she was still trying to decide if those changes were good, bad, or neutral.

As her mind continued to drift, Chi-Chi could almost feel as though the oppressive heat inside her home was diminishing. She felt relaxed and comfortable, so the thought of getting back up out of her spot to start making preparations for dinner in the equally hot and humid kitchen was not very appealing to her. Dinner could wait…life could wait. It had been so long since she felt this relaxed in her current condition, she inadvertently ended up drifting off into a light slumber, her soft snores indicating to anyone who should pass by what she was doing sprawled across the couch in such a fashion.

Laying there like that, her eyes twitching slightly behind her closed eyelids, Chi-Chi almost felt like she could sense…Goku. Suddenly, without warning, she found herself in the middle of the empty glade behind their house where she and Goku used to take walks together before their life and been interrupted by the arrival of Raditz all those years ago. Walking along a path that ran through the center of the glade, she watched as a pair of swallow tailed butterflies floated past her and landed on a nearby wild rose bush. Smiling slightly as she watched the butterflies fold and unfold their wings while they sipped the nectar from the flowers of the bush, a sudden movement and flash of orange caught the corner of her eye. Turning abruptly, she saw…him, standing not even five feet from her with his back turned towards her. Sensing tears start to swim at the corners of her eyes, she hastily brushed them aside as she picked up her skirt and closed the distance between herself and her husband.

Running towards him with her hair flying behind her, she bounded over to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling relief that she could touch him and feel the softness of his muscles compared to the steel that composed the rest of his frame. He was real, not some vision or figment of her imagination. And when she felt his hands grip hers, she held onto him even tighter than before.

Without warning, she felt him push her arms away as he spun around, returning the embrace she had just given him. Closing her eyes, she pushed her face onto his chest and let him cradle her against his body as he rubbed her back gently. Even though he had angered her with his decision, even though she had felt used and abandoned, just having him there in front of her where she could see him and touch him was enough to make almost all of her previous unharmonious thoughts towards him disappear.

"G…Goku. Goku!"

She tried to speak against his chest, but before she could say anything more besides his name, Goku's hands on her body stilled slightly before he pulled her even closer towards his enveloping warmth.

"I'm sorry Chi-Chi."

"It's fine, it's fine. Now that you're back, everything is going to be fine. You don't have to be sorry. I'm just happy…just happy that you've come back to your family. Just don't…don't leave us again like that. I couldn't bear it and neither could Gohan."

She mumbled her thoughts against the soft fabric of his orange gi. Yet as soon as she finished saying those words, Goku let go of her and stepped away, causing her to stumble slightly before catching her balance. Straightening up, she glanced over to where had walked, creating a safe distance between the two of them.

"No Chi-Chi, it isn't fine. And, well…you have to get over me. That's what you need to do. I mean, I'm glad that you can forgive me like that, but…you aren't thinking clearly." With that said, Goku scratched the back of his head uncertainly; watching her warily so see what she would do, no doubt.

With her frustration growing, Chi-Chi once again found herself closing the gap that separated the two of them until her toes were almost touching his.

"What do you mean I'm not thinking clearly? You belong here with Gohan and myself, not on some adventure. You have a family to think about Goku, a _family_! And whether I like it or not, I…I love you, you big ox!"

It was true. Every word that she uttered was completely true and she would take him back no matter how many times he broke her heart with his somewhat thoughtless actions. And maybe, if she pounded it into his thick head, he might finally get the idea. Yet somehow, what she was thinking rang hollowly within her. She did love him, but…she let her thoughts drift off. Refocusing her gaze on him, she once again found herself wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, trying to ignore the uneasiness in her heart that told her the thoughts she had about him might not be completely honest.

Goku seemed to have other ideas in his head when it came to her, though. Grabbing her arms, he pushed her away from his body, and then moved his arms to her shoulders.

Looking upward into his dark chocolate eyes, she didn't understand why he was being so stubborn. Why couldn't he just come back to her and Gohan? _Why?_

"Chi-Chi, you need to wake up." Shaking her shoulders, it was if he was trying to snap her out of some sort of stupor, yet she was completely aware of what was going on around her. Struggling against his gentle shaking, she tried to convey that she didn't want him to leave.

"No Goku, you're the one that needs to wake up! I need you, don't you see? Why can't you see that?"

"Chi-Chi, you don't need me. You have somebody else watching out for you. And even if they weren't, you've always been able to take care of things because…because you're strong like that. I would just get in the way. So snap out of it and wake up."

She did not want to wake up, nor did she feel as though she were the one that needed the reality check. In a moment of desperation, she pushed herself forward and closed her eyes, deciding the best way to convey her feelings for him was by giving him a kiss. Yet as soon as their lips met, the hollowness from before returned full force. And instead of picturing herself in an intimate embrace with Goku, her mind conjured up an image of the least likely person she could ever picture herself kissing. Startled by the image, she let out a muffled shriek and snapped open her eyes only to find herself…

Back on the living room couch with somebody towering over her frame. Letting out a blood-curdling scream, she tried to push herself away from the creature that was cloaked in darkness from the lengthening shadows of early evening, but it had its talons firmly entrenched into the soft flesh of her upper arms. Wriggling her body back and forth, she somehow tried to break free but whatever was holding onto her was stronger than she was. Giving into desperation, she closed her eyes and started to beg.

"Let me go, I beg of you! I'll give you anything that you want, just don't hurt me or my son."

And just like that, her arms were free. Shocked that it had been that simple, she snapped her eyelids opened and looked at her attacker only to realize in embarrassment who exactly had been holding her against the couch.

"I…Piccolo?"

Blinking owlishly, she looked at the tall Namek as he straightened out his body and crossed his arms. It was obvious to her that he was upset, since his body was extremely rigid and the growl that erupted from his throat was anything but pleasant. Wondering exactly what she had done, her dream flooded back to her, giving her a sudden feeling of insight that wasn't particularly welcome. She hadn't tried to…

A blush was starting to spread across her cheeks as she thought about what transpired between her sleeping self and the fully conscious Namek standing in front of her. Letting her morbid curiosity get the better of her, she decided to ask him.

"Umm, nothing happened between you and me when I was asleep, did it?"

Hearing a surprised grunt, she watched as Piccolo shook his head in the negative.

"Nothing…happened, unless you count the fact that you tried kicking me when I attempted to wake you up. Gods above, you're like a she-devil when you sleep."

Letting out a sigh of relief that she hadn't realized she was holding in, she began to relax. Comprehending that she must have fallen asleep, the time of day suddenly made itself apparent to her. She must have been out of it for hours before Piccolo came in to check on her if it was already almost dark. Seeing that he was standing close to the light switch on the opposite wall, she politely asked him if he would turn it on so that she wouldn't trip over anything on her way to the kitchen. He complied with her request without saying anything, and when he turned back towards her, she got a good look at his face, which told her more than words ever could.

There was a deep, purplish mark starting to become visible along his lower jaw line. To top it all off, there was no mistaking the heavier pigmentation that spread across his nose and upper cheekbones. It was slightly surprising to realize that Piccolo was physically able to manifest the feeling of embarrassment through a blush, something she had never really thought about. Yet the evidence was right in front of her to see, as clear as daylight. This only made Chi-Chi more introspective. She had to have done _something_ to Piccolo in her sleep, to make him look like that beyond just socking him in the jaw.

Putting aside her own embarrassment and her residual discomfort of being near the Namek, Chi-Chi slowly stood up from where she was seated and shuffled towards where Piccolo was still standing uncomfortably near the entrance that lead to the kitchen. Pushing down her own uneasiness, she gently grabbed hold of one of Piccolo's arms and started moving towards the kitchen.

Her actions obviously both surprised and confused her houseguest because the moment she touched his arm and started to walk, he balked and planted his feet firmly onto the boards of the wooden floor.

"Wh…what do you think you're doing?"

Rolling her eyes at him in exasperation, she found herself letting go of him and crossing her own arms, mirroring Piccolo's appearance.

"I don't know, maybe I was going to try to fix the boo-boo on your jaw. Or maybe I was going to pull you into the kitchen so that I could turn you into Piccolo stew for supper. Whatever the reason, I can't believe you're afraid of following me into the next room!"

She observed as the blush on his face slowly started to spread downward while the frown he was wearing deepened visibly. Obviously, she had inadvertently fallen onto a touchy subject with the man standing in front of her, though why it was touchy was still a mystery.

"What makes you think I'm afraid of following you into the next room? Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?"

As if to prove her wrong, he stepped around where she was standing and forcefully moved himself into the kitchen, turning on the light as he made his entrance. Walking behind him, she motioned him towards the table and then told him to sit down. She could tell that he wasn't happy about being given an order, but instead of arguing with her about it, he did as he was told which surprised Chi-Chi somewhat, although it probably shouldn't have. The last couple of months since he had visibly become a part of her household had slowly begun to show her a side to Piccolo that she had never expected, so focused on her prejudices and grudges that she held against him from the past. However, just as her son had discovered the complexities behind Piccolo's character, she was also starting to find out exactly what kind of person he was.

Mentally shaking her head, she walked over to a drawer and pulled out an old dishtowel. Gathering a plastic baggy, she went to the refrigerator and pulled some ice cubes out of the freezer, placing them inside the baggy that she then wrapped within the dishtowel. Stepping over to where Piccolo was grouchily seated, staring moodily out the window, she placed the makeshift ice pack against his injured jaw. At the contact, she observed Piccolo's adam's apple bob nervously, while the skin around his face visibly flinched. She supposed it had to do with how cold the ice must have felt against his heated flesh, but she was puzzled as to why his body language was giving off the clear sign that he was uncomfortable with how close she was to him.

Feeling irritated with him for acting so fidgety and uncomfortable and with herself for taking offense over his behavior, she was about to drop the icepack away from his jaw in annoyance when Piccolo's arm shot up and his hand wrapped around her wrist.

Suddenly, Chi-Chi felt like she was the one who was uncomfortable and nervous. Gulping, she found her eyes glued to Piccolo's as he held onto her wrist firmly. Unconsciously, she took a step forward until her legs brushed up against his. It was at that exact moment when reality seemed to rear its head with Piccolo, because he dropped her arm as though it were a red-hot poker. Catching the ice pack as it fell towards the table, he put it back against his jaw and then averted his gaze from where she was standing, giving the clear sign that whatever moment had passed between the two of them was clearly over with. Still unsure as to what was transpiring between the two of them, Chi-Chi retreated and walked over to the kitchen sink, opening the window to cool off the room that was decidedly warm for reasons Chi-Chi didn't clearly understand.

Perhaps part of her discomfort lay with the fact that she seldom spent any time alone with Piccolo, mostly because Gohan was usually always present when the two of them interacted. However, she had a feeling that the reason Piccolo was acting so strangely had to do with whatever had transpired between them when he had attempted to wake her up from her dream about Goku. And if she were honest with herself, she also was embarrassed about that dream, especially the part that had occurred right before she had woken up.

Pushing all that to the side, Chi-Chi decided a change in subject was in order to lift the oppressive atmosphere surrounding herself and the other occupant of her small kitchen. Making sure not to look at Piccolo, Chi-Chi went back to the refrigerator to pull out items needed for the evening meal when she addressed him.

"Where is Gohan?"

She could hear the chair creak that Piccolo was sitting on, indicating he was shifting positions before his deep voice broke the silence between them as she continued to pull food out of the refrigerator.

"He decided to go for a swim after we finished training, taking advantage of the overly hot weather."

Nodding her head in acknowledgement, Chi-Chi closed the refrigerator door with her elbow and then dumped the food in her arms onto the counter, making sure nothing rolled off onto the floor. Once again, she pulled open a drawer, taking out a knife to cut up the vegetables she had in front of her. Setting up her cutting board, she started to rhythmically chop them up, dicing them into small, bite size chunks as she thought of something else to say, while she also wondered why Piccolo had come back to the house by himself.

"To make sure you hadn't accidentally killed yourself. Why else do you think I would have come?"

Chewing on her lip, she wanted to hit herself for accidentally letting her thoughts spill out in the open. She secretly thanked Kami that she hadn't said something even stupider in front of him as she moved her cut up vegetables to the side.

"Thank you for your concern Piccolo, but I'm sure you've noticed how I've been taking better care of myself. You didn't have to come here by yourself, since I know being around me makes you uncomfortable."

She didn't know why she felt compelled to take a jab at him, but for some perverse reason, she found that she enjoyed irritating Piccolo. Well, that wasn't quite true. It was more that she enjoyed arguing with him about something pointless because he was so unlike Goku in the fact that he didn't like backing down unless he found the conversation to be completely irrelevant. When the conversation was directed at him, he hardly ever turned down the opportunity to point out how flawed her ideas were when they concerned him. And in this case, it was her method to take away from the lingering discomfort over whatever had happened between the two of them in the living room.

With that thought, she was about to bend over to take out her giant stockpot when something grabbed her arm and stopped her from moving. Stilling her movements, it took her a second to realize that Piccolo was no longer seated at the table. Instead, he was standing directly behind her, and the sudden sensation of butterflies in her stomach asserted itself.

"I'll get it," Piccolo muttered, his warm breath running over the shell of her right ear.

With that said, he let go of her arm, pulling away and giving her enough space to let him in front of the cupboards underneath her kitchen counter. He opened the cupboard door and pulled out the pot, putting it on the counter next to her pile of vegetables before he backed away and then sat himself back down at the table.

Looking at him with visibly widened eyes, her thoughts started to run rampant.

What was it about him that was so unnerving as of late? This wasn't the first time that she felt uncomfortable for other reasons besides the fact that he used to be Piccolo Daimo. It was as though sometimes he had no idea about how to keep a proper distance from her, his body inadvertently invading her personal space. And sometimes, like just now, it felt as though he were intentionally doing so, just like a man who wanted to show his interest in a girl would do. But that didn't make any sense, especially considering it was Piccolo she was dealing with.

She remembered asking Goku long ago why it was that Piccolo never seemed interested in being with someone like she was with him. He had explained to her, albeit in a very embarrassed manner, that Piccolo had no desire to bond with somebody in that way because there was no necessity for him to do so. Therefore, his interaction with her couldn't be based on that. It was more probable that he knew how he could unnerve with his close proximity, so he used it as a strategy to intimidate her or prove a point. However, that didn't explain her…her reaction to him, and that was what was making her so uneasy around him.

"Are you sure I'm the one that's uncomfortable? It seems to me that you're the one with the issues, not me."

Huffing at him, she moved her unease in the direction of anger, tossing the vegetables into the pot with vengeance. Lately, she had started to think of him as a kind-hearted individual beneath his harsh exterior, but then he would do something to prove just what an ass he truly was. And if there was anything that Chi-Chi absolutely did not like, it was being made the object of some sort of inside joke, which seemed to be a recurring habit with Piccolo. No matter how far she had come in tolerating his continued presence in and around her home, he would say something to her that would make her temporarily forget the kind feelings she was developing towards him in her heart. Walking the pot over to the sink, she started to fill it with water before she turned around to face his smirking countenance.

"Oh really? So that's why you were acting so nervous when I tried pulling you into the kitchen and you were blushing like some youth who had finally received their first kiss?"

She didn't know what possessed her to say _that_ to him, but it was out of her mouth before she could stop it and the comment did not slide past Piccolo's overly large ears.

Grimacing at her, he stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back with such force that it fell over onto its back with a resounding thud.

"Are you implying that I did something to you of which I am ashamed? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Putting her hands on her hips, she glared back at him, suddenly caught up in a ridiculous argument that really made absolutely no sense when it all came down to it. However, that was the pull she felt whenever she was around Piccolo, and for some reason, she couldn't stop herself from entering into a fight with him.

"Maybe I am! I mean, normal people don't…they don't lurk around other people's houses in the dark and tower over them when they are asleep unless they mean to do something sinister!"

She knew her comments were completely out of line and they made absolutely no sense whatsoever, yet instead of scoffing at her argument and telling her she had no idea what she was talking about, Piccolo only seemed to become more agitated then before. Walking around the table, he came around so that he was standing directly in front of her, making it necessary for her to crane her head up just so she could look into his angry face.

"For God's sake, listen to yourself! I don't know what it is about you Chi-Chi, but you have the most irritating habit of saying things without thinking them through. Why would I harm you, or…or kiss you? It's ridiculous!"

"I don't know! But if something didn't happen between you and me in the living room, why are you acting so embarrassed about it? Why can't you just tell me what I did?"

He took a few steps back, and let in a breath before he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Why would you even want to know? I told you that nothing happened besides the fact that you were yelling about Goku and you punched me in the face when I tried to wake you up, so just leave it at that."

Without another word, he sidestepped her and shut the water off, which was currently spilling out over the top of her stockpot and into the basin of the sink. Tipping the pot to the side, he drained some of the water off and then picked the heavy container up for her, putting it on the stove.

"I don't know how to work that thing, so you had better do it unless you want your house to explode into a burning inferno."

She didn't know if he was attempting to lighten the situation with a stupid joke or not, since he was hard to read most of the time, but she nodded her head and tried to stop thinking about why she was so interested in finding out what she had done in her sleep, which Piccolo obviously did not want to confide in her about. He was most likely right anyway. Why would she want to know? It wasn't like it was that important to begin with. Stepping over to where he was standing impatiently, she turned the burner the pot was sitting on to high in order to bring the water to a boil.

"I apologize Piccolo. I shouldn't have implied such a…such a thing. I know that you were just trying to keep your promise to look out for Gohan and me. Sometimes, I get a little carried away."

Peeking up at him, she noticed he was still watching her, but his face had softened and he almost looked…peaceful, she supposed. Taking her hand, she gingerly touched the bruise forming on his jaw, satisfied when he didn't flinch away from her ministration.

"I'm sorry for this too. Does it…does it hurt much?"

He shook his head no before he once again grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from his face. But just like before, he didn't let go right away and it looked like he was also trying to puzzle through something in his mind, something about her.

She didn't fully understand why, but there was a sensation of heat slowly creeping down her body the longer he held onto her wrist. It was…comforting, and the fact that the comfort was coming from Piccolo surprised her. She had always assumed the worst about him, even when he had shown her over and over again during the time that he had trained with Goku and Gohan before the Android invasion that he wasn't really that way anymore. However, it was difficult for her to let up on her preconceived notions about his personality and who he was as an individual besides the demon he had been when he had tried to kill Goku during the 23rd Tenka-ichi Budōkai. Yet here she was, sharing a space in her small kitchen with him while he held onto her wrist. It was bizarre, yet it was starting to feel right having him here in her home. And that thought was somewhat scary, with its veiled meaning.

"Mom, Piccolo? Is everything okay?"

Snapping back to reality, she felt Piccolo slowly drop her wrist as he gently backed away from where they were standing in front of the kitchen stove. Glancing over to where Gohan was standing in the kitchen door, his wet hair hanging limply around her face, she smiled at him.

"Everything's fine. Piccolo was just helping me out in the kitchen. Why don't you take a quick shower and then head back downstairs? Dinner will be ready in about a half an hour."

With that said, Gohan nodded his head and raced out of the kitchen and up to his room, leaving her alone once more with the enigma known as Piccolo.

"Are you…are you going to stay for supper? Gohan would probably like that. You know how he is."

That was the truth, but for some reason, it wasn't so much Gohan's like for his mentor and teacher that prompted her to ask him to stay, but rather the fact that she wouldn't mind the company of having another adult around. It did get rather lonely around the house with just her and Gohan.

Unfortunately, Piccolo seemed to have other plans. Shaking his head no, he walked towards the kitchen doorway, stopping at the entrance.

"I'll have to turn you down. Anyway, you know your food would be wasted on me since I don't eat like a human does."

"I know that Piccolo, but that wasn't why I…"

His chuckle interrupted her sentence. Pursing her lips, she watched as he smiled, something she had rarely, if ever seen him do.

"I understand Chi-Chi, but I have…have things to sort out. So I'm going to have leave it at that. Tell the kid I said good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he stepped out of the door, closing it softly behind him, leaving her alone with her thoughts about what was happening to her and Gohan and how Piccolo was somehow becoming intertwined with her family.

* * *

Piccolo relaxed against his favorite tree near the Son household, his legs and arms crossed as he watched the house in the deepening night. He could see the kitchen light through the window, spilling soft light out onto the grass below it. If he looked carefully enough, he could make out the shadows of Chi-Chi and Gohan as they moved about, most likely cleaning up after themselves from the meal Chi-Chi had made. 

He regretted not taking Chi-Chi up on her invitation, but there was a reason why he had decided not to linger within the house itself and that reason happened to be Chi-Chi. His thoughts about her were starting to become jumbled and convoluted, the clear delineations and assumptions he had made about her as he watched her interaction with both Goku and Gohan becoming skewed. And to top everything else off, he was starting to feel a resonance with her beyond just an accepted tolerance that he had to help her out for the sake of Gohan. He was beginning to actually like being around the aggressive harridan, and it made absolutely no sense to him.

To make matters worse, he couldn't understand the pull she was having on him. He was starting to feel differently around her than any other person he had ever met, including Gohan. No matter how hard he tried to hide his growing sense of…of something for her, it wouldn't leave him alone, prompting him to check up on her when she was alone and Gohan wasn't anywhere around. At first, it had started as part of his promise to make sure she was taking care of herself, but it slowly was beginning to change. Today wasn't the first time where he had found himself in her house, observing her while she slept. Growling under his breath, he wanted to lash out at Kami for making him so damn soft hearted. Ugh, it was…it was disgusting! Yet deep down inside, he knew that he really didn't think that way.

Expelling a deep breath, he glanced up at the stars and tried to puzzle through the most confusing and most intense interaction he had had with Chi-Chi up to this point. Her ridiculous dream.

He had decided to check up around the house after leaving Gohan at the lake. Finding the lights off, he could feel a strange sense of apprehension within the pit of his stomach. Not liking the sensation, he'd entered into her house only to find her sprawled across the living room sofa in a deep sleep, her limbs twitching randomly. And then she had started to yell. He hadn't really understood anything she was saying, except for when she yelled Goku's name. Deciding it was probably best to wake her up, he had stepped between her and the coffee table, grabbing hold of her shoulders and shaking her to try and wake her up. And that's when _it_ happened.

She had grabbed his face and pulled it in towards her own. He had been so shocked by her actions that he hadn't moved away in time to avoid…avoid her lips against his own. Even though he was a Namekian, he had been around humans long enough to know what it was she was doing to him in her sleep, and that thought unnerved him completely. Kissing somebody…that held a significant meaning. He understood that she had been dreaming, but that sensation…he had never felt anything like it before. In all honesty, he shouldn't have had any reaction whatsoever. None. But that hadn't been the case at all. It was like some connection was made, and not one of his making or choosing. He didn't know what it signified, and so he had the intention of putting it firmly in the back of his mind. Yet is wasn't that easy because for some reason, he was making a link with that moment and his growing appreciation for Chi-Chi.

Growling in frustration, he closed his eyes and concentrated on meditating. He was out here to take care of Gohan and watch over Chi-Chi, nothing more. Whatever had happened inside the house tonight had been an unintentional accident, one that Chi-Chi hadn't even been aware she was doing. There was no sense in thinking about it or her for that matter, end of story.

However, no matter how many times he tried to tell himself that, he couldn't keep his thoughts centered on his mediation. Instead, his mind kept wondering back to Chi-Chi. This whole damn excursion had started out as a way to help her cope with the loss of Goku, but somehow, and Piccolo wasn't sure why, it was changing into something different. And all it was doing was leaving him more confused then ever about his own responses towards a particular female he hadn't even liked to begin with.

_Well, this chapter developed a bit differently than how I had it mapped out. I tried to keep Piccolo and Chi-Chi as in character as possible. Please let me know what you think through a review._


	5. Understanding?

_Another chapter! I hope you enjoy it and thanks so much for the reviews I have received. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters. _

_Chapter 5-Understanding?_

A month had passed and life continued to go on inside the Son household. To an outsider who had no idea what the previous dichotomy of the family that made up the household had been like prior to Goku's death, the almost utter normalcy of life would seem like a sacrilege. That the inhabitants within the household seemed to have forgotten the existence of the alpha within their makeup less than six months since his unfortunate death would seem disturbing. Yet, that wasn't the case at all.

Chi-Chi did not really understand it herself. For the first time in months, no years, the aching emptiness that was left inside her heart whenever Goku would leave her to fulfill a mission or simply because he needed the freedom to roam about without the constraints of a family was…gone. She hadn't realized the fact that she was no longer hurting in_ that_ particular way until a few days ago. The change inside her had been so gradual, it had crept up on her without warning until she woke up one morning with the awareness that she hadn't cried over Goku's abandonment in over a period spanning about a month. And the emptiness was being filled by something else…

It wasn't that she didn't think about Goku. In fact, she thought about him quite regularly, and most of that had to do with the daily reminders of his previous existence, which she carried deep inside her body, as well as her interactions with Gohan. Often times, whenever she was alone working on some mundane project around the house, she would find herself wondering what he was doing in Otherworld. Did he ever think about her and Gohan? Had he discovered that he was soon to have another child? What would he say to her should they meet again? And more importantly, what would he do if he knew…

She stopped herself from finishing that particular question. It was something that was both new and terrifying to her and she was trying her best to not think about it. Firming her lips into a thin line as an outward attempt to force her mind to comply with her wishes, she stood up from where she was seated at her sewing desk in the downstairs living area. Pushing back her chair, she put the pieces of cloth she had cut out back on the table and walked over to the old wood stove. If anything, getting up and moving around usually helped to relieve tension and rid herself of unwanted and stupid thoughts.

Reaching the wood stove, she opened the door, feeling the heat from the inside on the cloth of her dress as it soaked through to the skin beneath it. Grabbing the first easily accessible piece from the tall pile of wood next to the stove, she shoved it inside, followed by several more pieces of wood. Once she was satisfied that the stove was full, she used the poker to shift the wood around and then she shut the furnace door with a bang, latching it tightly before she backed away.

The abnormally warm weather they had had in the middle of September had suddenly shifted, bringing with it the autumn that had seemed like it would never come. The temperatures around Mount Pazou had dropped until it necessitated starting up the old wood stove. Normally, Goku would have been the one to go out and harvest old trees to feed the furnace, but Gohan and…and Piccolo had taken over that task.

In fact, it had been Piccolo's idea to bring part of the woodpile inside the house next to the stove so that she wouldn't have to make numerous trips outside and put a strain on her visibly pregnant body. And it had been his idea to have Gohan continually refill the pile inside so that she didn't have to bend over to pick up pieces of wood, should she be the only one at home when the stove needed to be restocked. It was this…this thoughtfulness of his coupled with a growing understanding deep within her that was starting to make her wonder about a great many things concerning Piccolo. Certainly, he was trying to fulfill his promise to make sure she was taking care of herself for Gohan's sake, but she was starting to think that there was something more behind his motives besides the obvious. Of course, she could also be making something insignificant into something much larger than it actually was.

It also didn't help that she was developing…

Shaking her head resolutely, she once again tried to stop herself from thinking the ridiculous. Walking back over to her sewing table, she ran her hands over the soft fabric she was using to create a few new baby outfits for Gohan's new brother or sister. Staring out the window, watching the fallen leaves from the trees around their home swirl and blow across the dying grass, she absently thought about how things would change once again when the baby was born.

Once the baby was born…Piccolo's personal obligation would disappear she supposed, and with that, his presence around the home she shared with Gohan would also diminish. She doubted he would completely leave them alone, but it would be more centered on his interaction with Gohan than with her. Still, there was no requirement or necessity for him to have such an expanded role. However, it was foolish to deny the fact that once she got used to having him around so often, she had grown to enjoy interacting with him. He had become…a friend.

Shaking her head, she wondered why it was she couldn't stop thinking about him as of late. In truth, she had her suspicions as to why, but those thoughts were even more disturbing than the rather innocent assumption on her part that Piccolo was only a friend to her. Biting her bottom lip, she pulled her hand away from the fabric and then picked up her knitting basket. If there was anything that could help relax her and her overactive imagination, it was knitting.

Moving slowly across the room, she settled herself into the rocking chair her father had made her when she had first told him that she and Goku were expecting their first child. That had been years ago, yet the chair contained so many memories and it seemed to fit her form better now that she was pregnant once again. Stroking the smooth, darkening walnut of the chair's rounded arm with her hand, she pulled out her knitting needles and yarn with the other. In a few moments, she was leaning her head against the high back of the chair, rocking it slightly with her feet as she continued working on the knitting project she had started a few weeks previously. Right after the day she had had that strange dream about Goku and woke up with Piccolo in her face.

"Stop thinking about Piccolo." She muttered aloud to herself, picking up her knitting speed with vengeance. This never-ending battle with her brain had to stop. First it had been Goku and now it was…argh!

Heaving out a deep breath, she dropped her knitting into her lap and rubbed her forehead with her hands. She had to stop. She had to. For one thing, those thoughts were pointless, and for another, they were rather annoying.

Rocking back and forth in her chair, she started chanting to herself as a means to physically clear her brain of those things that were disturbing and slightly scary.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, sto…"

"Chi-Chi!"

Jumping slightly in her chair, she dropped her hands back into her lap and looked up with a startled expression on her face. Standing a few feet in front of her was none other than Bulma, and the look on her face showed clear the surprise and confusion over her strange behavior.

Dropping the black bag she was carrying, Chi-Chi watched as the woman slowly walked over to where she was seated, extending her hand out so that her cool palm was touching her forehead.

"It doesn't seem like you have a fever. Are you…okay? What's going on?"

She waited until Bulma removed her hand before she spoke up.

"I'm fine." She could see instantly by Bulma's raised eyebrow that the other woman didn't believe her at all. Frowning, she sat up straighter in her chair and glared at her uninvited guest.

"I'm fine Bulma, so don't give me that look. I get enough of those from Piccolo."

"Then why, pray tell, were you rocking back in forth in your chair, holding your head and chanting 'stop' to yourself? That didn't look normal at all to me."

With that said, Chi-Chi could tell Bulma wasn't just going to let the conversation go especially when she leaned into one leg and crossed her arms underneath her breasts.

Letting out a sigh of inevitability, she decided the best thing to do to get Bulma off of her case would be to tell her the truth, at least partially. After all, she didn't need to know what or whom it was she was trying to stop thinking about.

"I was just trying to stop thinking about something that's been plaguing me all day long. I'm sure you've had those moments when you get a thought stuck in your head, and it keeps playing over and over again like a broken record? Well, I've tried working it out by doing other things, but I haven't gotten anything accomplished because it won't leave me alone."

"Oh."

She was fairly sure that Bulma hadn't expected to get an answer out of her quite so fast without an inordinate amount of badgering. However, the slightly shocked look across Bulma's face started to dissipate, being replaced with a rather knowing smile.

"I think I see…Chi-Chi. But hey, you don't have to spill the beans to me if you don't want to. But if you do…I totally think you are deserving of having happiness in your life, if you get my meaning."

At first, Chi-Chi didn't 'get' Bulma's meaning. At least, not until the devious corporate heiress gave her a very sly and over the top wink before she picked up the black bag she had dropped on the floor when she had walked in on Chi-Chi, thinking her friend was having a mental breakdown.

Sputtering in embarrassment and fear of her preoccupied thoughts being discovered, she tried to dissuade Bulma from her current train of thought. Standing up as quickly as her pregnant body would allow, she stepped over to where Bulma had moved and was pulling out the capsules from her slim, black bag. Grabbing her arm, she pulled her around so that her dark brown eyes where peering into Bulma's crystal blue ones.

"It's not what you think! I've only ever intended on having Goku in my life, no one else."

Crinkling her eyes in concern, Bulma placed her free hand on Chi-Chi's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She tried to reassure her that she didn't think Chi-Chi would be doing anything bad if she moved on in her life, keeping her good memories of Goku while making new ones with someone else, if that were the case. She hadn't meant to upset her friend in the least, and in reality, she had only been teasing her to begin with to snap her out of the strange funk she had been in when she had walked through the door. It wasn't that she thought Chi-Chi couldn't find somebody to replace Goku. However, since she lived out in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest town with no way to get their except by using her own two feet, she found it highly unlikely that the woman would find somebody this quickly after Goku's death. Obviously, however, by Chi-Chi's frightened reaction, that wasn't exactly the case and Bulma's curiosity was instantly peaked.

"Calm down Chi-Chi. I don't want you to get excited over my teasing, especially when you're so heavily pregnant. I know you aren't due for a couple of months yet, but…I didn't mean to upset you."

Gently pushing away from her friend, Bulma turned back to her capsules, humming a slightly out of tune song as a way to reassure Chi-Chi she hadn't meant anything by her teasing. She could hear Chi-Chi backing away slightly, feeling the slight shift of the floorboards beneath her feet.

"Bulma, what are you doing here anyway?"

Glancing at over her shoulder to where Chi-Chi was standing uncomfortably, rubbing her arms, she gave the woman a mock dirty look before turning back to her materials in front of her.

"How could you forget? I called you last week to remind you I was coming to check up on you and the baby. Besides, you need to have visitors once in a while, living out here all by yourself with just Gohan hanging around and Piccolo doing whatever it is that Piccolo does."

Smiling uncomfortably, Chi-Chi realized that she _had _forgotten about Bulma coming over, which was unusual for her. Bulma had become her makeshift doctor, even though the woman technically wasn't one. She did, however, have a vast amount of technology at her hands and she was extremely intelligent. And, more than anything else, she had agreed to help out Chi-Chi because she had been friends with Goku and because she also considered Chi-Chi to be a friend as well, even if they hadn't always gotten along or agreed with one another in the past. There was also the fact that they both had a common bond between each other: that the fathers of their perspective children were both full-blooded Saiyans. She had found somebody who understood what it was like to be abandoned, since Bulma had spent much of her pregnancy with Trunks alone when Vegeta had gone off into space to train. The only major difference between their relationships however was that Vegeta had decided to stay with the woman he had fathered a child with while Goku had left. Shaking off some of her slight melancholy, she sat down on the couch and waited for Bulma to finish setting things up before her appointment would begin.

"I'm sorry I forgot. I've just been preoccupied with other things lately."

Bulma waved off her concern with a quick flick of her wrist.

"Don't worry about it. I'm here now, so why don't we get it over with so we can spend some quality girl bonding time together?"

Chi-Chi nodded her head in agreement, although she wasn't particularly keen on spending whatever girl bonding time Bulma had in mind. However, if it could relieve her of some of her uncomfortable thoughts of late, she would welcome the reprieve.

_A few hours later…_

The last rays of the sun's light disappeared behind the horizon as Piccolo and Gohan steadily flew towards the comfort and warmth of the small home they were headed towards, nestled in one of the numerous valleys that surrounded Mount Pazou.

The air was crisp as it whipped past both figures, ruffling Piccolo's white cape and tossing Gohan's black hair about as they flew. In a few minutes, they would be outside of the small house, and Piccolo would once again have to deal with the unsettling connection he was making with the woman who lived there.

He still couldn't understand whatever changes were happening to him. The fact remained that being around Chi-Chi was disturbing to him. Yet, even though he felt strange around her, not like himself at all, he couldn't stay away from her no matter how hard he tried. And he _had _tried. True, he had made a promise to look out for her for Gohan's sake, but that promise hadn't included checking on her when Gohan wasn't around or making daily trips to the tiny home in the remoteness of the wilderness just so he could see the aggravating female. So, for the span of about two weeks after the evening when she had unintentionally touched her lips to his, he had cut the amount of time he had been spending with Chi-Chi in half. However, even when he wasn't physically near her, he kept finding himself in that damn spot underneath his favorite tree watching her just as he had been doing ever since Goku had died, trying to figure out what it was she was doing to him. And when the weather had suddenly turned cold, the thought of the inviting warmth lead him to once again make frequent visits to the inside of the home his former rival had once dwelled within not that long ago.

"Piccolo?"

Hearing Gohan's voice as it blew past his large ears on the wind, he pulled his mind away from his pointless, circular musing that had been the same for the last month.

"What?"

"Why did we just fly over my house?"

Startled, he looked below and realized that they had indeed flown completely past Gohan and Chi-Chi's small home and were now almost on the other side of the looming mountain. Feeling extremely ridiculous, he started to grind his teeth in frustration while grunting out a noncommittal response to the boy flying alongside him. They continued flying in silence without turning back when Gohan's voice suddenly floated past his ears again.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting strange lately Piccolo. First, you started to avoid my mother, and lately…I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, but you just haven't been yourself. I know my mom can be scary and all…"

Gohan didn't have a chance to finish his thought before Piccolo interrupted him.

"That isn't it. I'm not afraid of your mother."

He watched as Gohan slowed down his speed so that they were parallel to one another. He did not want to have this conversation with Gohan, but it wasn't his style to ignore things that made him uneasy. Frowning slightly, he waited before the boy replied to his answer.

"Well, it's got to be something. And it isn't just you. She's been acting kind of weird lately too. She doesn't cry about dad anymore, but she seems to daydream a lot more then she used to. I don't get it. Both of you have been acting strange ever since that day when I walked in on the two of you in the kitchen when you were holding my mom's wrist. I never said anything to you about it before because I could tell you weren't trying to hurt her, but…but both of you are acting like you…like you have a crush on one another or something!"

That was not what he had expected to hear from Gohan's mouth. Feeling a sudden drop in the pit of his stomach that had nothing to do with how far they were up in the atmosphere, Piccolo suddenly put on the brakes. He found himself standing face to face with Gohan, his arms crossed over his chest and his face expressing the shock of being told he was acting like he had a crush on some human female.

"That is absolutely ridiculous! Not to mention impossible. I don't know where you got such an idea in your head Gohan, but you can get rid of it right now."

Piccolo hoped that his student would have enough sense to drop the uncomfortable topic and leave it at that. He couldn't believe that Gohan would think that of him, or how he had even come to such an erroneous conclusion to begin with. Certainly, he had discovered that he didn't mind spending time with Chi-Chi like he thought he would, and that he could even admit to liking her. But a crush? He had always found the fickleness of human sexual attraction to be nonsensical and utterly pointless. And to validate his assumptions of what he thought he understood about attraction, all he had to do was look at the turbulent relationship Bulma and Yamcha had had before they had eventually split apart. In all honesty, he truly hadn't understood what all the commotion was about when it came to the supposed feelings behind falling in love with someone. In his case, there was no need for something so stupid. Yet none of these reasons were helping him fend off the fact that part of him (the Kami part of him) found Gohan's reasoning to be…somewhat correct. And apparently Gohan also felt reassured by his statement to the contrary, evident by the very pronounced smirk that was sliding across his face.

"I'll get rid of it when pigs fly! You _do_ have a crush on my mother! I should kick your ass for thinking about her like that, but I'm sure it was probably accidental, since you still don't seem to understand what it is you think about my mom anyway. Well, I'll let you think about it, but if I catch you trying to do any funny stuff to her, you're mine!"

With that said, Gohan stuck his tongue out at him and made a face before he turned Super Saiyan and flew past Piccolo, making his cape whip around his body from the energy that whizzed past him as his student headed back towards Mt. Pazou.

He could feel anger emanating from the deepest part of his subconscious over being made to look like a fool in front of the boy who had done more for him when it came to understanding his own ability to have and express feelings than anyone else before had. With that anger, there was also a deep sense of embarrassment. The fact was, he did not understand how he thought or what he felt about Chi-Chi, but Gohan's statements, no matter how much he did not want to give them credence, held some merit. Pushing back his discomfort, Piccolo pulled up his ki reserves and shot off after his student, not intent to let him have the last word over his assumptions in regards to his own feelings towards the boy's mother.

_About ten minutes later at Mt. Pazou…_

Chi-Chi finished loading a set of sheets into the washing machine and was about to start pulling out the items from inside the dryer when she heard the front door open and slam shut. Straightening up, she realized that Gohan must have returned from his sparring match with Piccolo, and the worry over his lateness dissipated rapidly. Stepping out of the small laundry room, she walked into the living room and saw him throwing wood into the wood stove before he closed it up and brushed his hands off on his pants.

"Hey Mom! Sorry I'm a little late, but Piccolo and I kind of accidentally went on a detour before we headed over here."

She looked at Gohan a bit dubiously, crossing her arms and frowning at him slightly.

"You took a detour? Well, even though I find that sort of unbelievable, I'll let you off the hook this time. But that means until supper is finished cooking, you're going to be upstairs in your room studying. And no playing those video games Bulma gave you the last time you went over to West City to visit with her and Trunks!"

She wasn't expecting much of an argument, as Gohan was usually a very dutiful son. However, she wasn't expecting the sudden grin of pleasure that spread across his face or the devious twinkle that shone out of his dark brown eyes. Narrowing her eyes, she had a sudden suspicion that he was up to something, even though there wasn't any evidence pointing to that. Shaking off the strange sensation, she caught herself looking towards the door behind her son.

"Where is Piccolo? I thought you said he was with you."

Gohan shrugged and then grinned at her before he bounded around her and headed towards the small staircase that led to the upstairs. Turning his head, he looked over his shoulder while he started up the stairs towards his room before answering her question.

"Oh, he's behind me. He'll be here in a few minutes. He was kind of…um, well, busy. When he gets here, make sure you tell him that I'm studying and can't be bothered. And yell when it's time for dinner. I'm starving!"

With that said, Chi-Chi watched as Gohan's body disappeared from view as he entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Shaking her head over his strange behavior, she peered at the door once more before she shrugged and went back into the laundry room.

A few more minutes passed and there still was no sign of Piccolo. Pulling the last sock out of the dryer, she shut the door and grabbed the basket from the top of the machine, turning around and finding herself face to face in the small room with the man she had just been thinking about minutes before. Dropping the basket in fright over his sudden, stealthy appearance, she watched as the basket tipped over on its side, spilling a few of the items out and over Piccolo's feet.

Recovering from her shock, she looked up at his face, about to rip into him over how rude it was not to announce his presence when she noticed his expression. Apparently, whatever he had been busy doing hadn't gone very well and she had a feeling that Gohan was somehow responsible. In fact, there was no mistaking that Piccolo looked livid about something. His fists were balled at his sides and his pronounced brow was wrinkled in anger.

"Where is Gohan?" Piccolo ground out in a low and guttural tone.

Taking a step backwards, she let out a sigh, trying to think just what it was that her son had done to Piccolo to make him this riled up. The only time she had ever seen him this upset was when he had come to her house to tell her he was going to become involved in making sure she took care of herself and she had gone ballistic on him. She had never seen him angry with Gohan, so in her heart, she knew it must have been something bad. Yet it didn't make sense because Gohan wasn't the type of child to willfully make someone upset with him, and he had come home acting as though he had the expectation Piccolo was going to be angry with him. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes in annoyance, she told him what Gohan had asked her to say.

"He's in his room studying, but I don't want him to be disturbed since he's studying for an important test."

With that said, she was about to bend over and retrieve the laundry basket, but Piccolo beat her to it. Peering at her as he straightened up, his face softened somewhat but not all of his apparent agitation towards her son receded.

"For some reason, I don't think that's the truth, but if that's what you say, I'll let it go for now."

Blinking in surprise, Chi-Chi tried to cover up the small smile that appeared at the corner of her lips for no reason other then the fact that Piccolo had bought her fabricated story even though he knew she was lying. Trying to make up for her strange attitude, she went to grab the basket out of his hands, but he pulled it away from her.

"I…Piccolo, I can…"

"Just be quiet and tell me where you want me to take it. I'm trying to…"

His voice trailed off as the edges of his cheeks darkened slightly. Shrugging her shoulders, she told him to take it to the kitchen table so she could fold them as well as check on the supper she was making for her and Gohan. With that said, she followed him into the next room as he put the basket on the battered table and then backed away. Standing uncomfortably with his arms crossed, she could feel his eyes on her as she checked on the roast in the oven and then pulled out a chair at the table to sit on while she folded the pile of clothes in front of her. Glancing upwards at his impassive face, she caught herself staring at him unintentionally, watching the way his eyes slid shut when he blinked, the way he would randomly tap his long fingers against his biceps, and the way his throat would move when he swallowed. Snapping out of it, it didn't take her long to realize that she wasn't the only person in the room staring. Nervousness replaced the calmness she had felt upon entering the kitchen, her mouth going dry the longer Piccolo's penetrating gaze held her face. Feeling the obvious heat of a blush starting to spread across her face, she broke eye contact with him and looked away, taking in a shuddering breath. This was…new. Was he trying to play some sort of game with her? Did he…did he know?

"I don't have something stuck to my nose do I?" she asked, trying to dispel the heaviness of the atmosphere.

"No."

"Oh."

Again, the silence between the two of them seemed to stretch on forever. She didn't understand what was going on. Whenever Piccolo showed up, which was almost every day, and the two of them were left alone for short periods of time, he rarely said anything to her except when she intentionally provoked him into an argument, yet it didn't feel like this. This sensation that something was about to happen was almost overwhelming and it didn't help that she had been thinking about him almost continually all day, looking forward to seeing him in the early evening when he would come back with Gohan. Maybe it was because of Bulma's visit that she had finally decided to stop hiding from her actual…feelings without putting a name to them. Maybe it was because Bulma had made the comment that it was okay for her to be happy with someone else besides Goku. Whatever the case, she could understand part of the strangeness surrounding the two of them. If in case he did know, that would make things strained between the two of them and she didn't want to think about that.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Chi-Chi blinked and looked towards Piccolo. Dropping the pair of socks she had been holding on to back towards the table, she pulled her hands towards her lap as she watched him close the distance between where he was standing and the table. She swallowed heavily, her breath hitching in her chest as he leaned over across the table and hesitantly grasped her chin in his hand, angling her face towards his own. Once again, she found herself being swallowed up by his concerned gaze, his earlier anger all but gone. If it wasn't for the fact that a table was separating the two of them, it almost seemed like he wanted to…

Yanking her head back and away from him, she tried to get her racing thoughts and heartbeat under control. He did not want to do _that _with her. It was the stupid dream that was making her think such absurd thoughts, as well as her own…her hormones. Deciding that folding clothes wasn't such a good idea, she started throwing the items back in the basket, using it as a front to ignore Piccolo. She didn't want to see what his reaction would be from her sudden and erratic movements, nor did she want him to start taunting her about how idiotic she was acting.

Grabbing the basket, she put it on the floor before she stood up and walked over to the stove to once again check on her roast. Seeing that it was browning nicely, along with the potatoes and carrots she had added, she walked over to her small pantry and pulled out a jar of green beans she had canned earlier that year.

Taking the jar over to the counter, she pulled a bowl from one of the cupboards and then opened a drawer, extracting a can opener to unseal the lid on her jar. Taking her shaking hands, she gripped the jar tightly with one while she used the other to try and lever the opener and pop the lid off of the jar. Instead, all she managed to do was keep missing the jar lid, eventually dropping the opener to the counter with a loud clatter. She was about to slam her fist into the countertop to relieve some of her frustration and tension when she felt something grab it before she could harm herself. Realizing that it was Piccolo, she relaxed suddenly when she felt the warmth of his body behind her, at odds with her previous behavior.

"It doesn't make sense for you to break your arm over the fact that you can't get a jar open. Here, give it to me."

He dropped her arm and moved around next to her. Feeling sheepish, she pushed the jar and opener over to him and waited while he easily popped the lid off the jar. Handing it back over to her, she ignored the feel of his dry skin against her own when their hands touched briefly. Emptying the contents of the jar into the bowl, she opened up the new microwave Bulma had given her the month before and started to heat up the canned vegetable. With that simple task accomplished, she turned back around, leaning her hips against the counter, stealing a glance at Piccolo, who was still standing next to her.

"I wasn't going to hurt you."

She was surprised. He had thought her reaction was because she thought she was in danger? Well, she supposed she had been in danger, but the only danger she had been in would have been of her own making. She was human, after all, and she was finding that her humanity coupled with her need for companionship was making her feel things for this man that she never would have imagined feeling. Especially considering the fact that he wasn't human to begin with.

Shaking her head, she smiled wryly at him, spontaneously grabbing his hand in her own and squeezing it.

"I know. You just startled me, that's all. I wasn't expecting that and it reminded me of…" She let her voice trail off before she revealed what exactly it was that it reminded her of. However, Piccolo surprised her with the next comment, one she wasn't expecting from someone like him.

"It reminded you of that dream."

"My…dream?"

He nodded his head slowly and then tried to pull his hand out of her grip, as a way of retreating from bringing up a subject that the two of them had tried to forget. However, since it had never been resolved, it hadn't left the forefront of their minds.

"I kissed you, didn't I? That's what you wouldn't tell me."

She could see him tense up, his lips spreading into a thin line before he slowly shook his had in affirmation of something she had suspected from the beginning. Especially since the kiss in her dream that had started out being with Goku had ended up being with Piccolo instead. And it had been because of that moment she had realized the reason why the emptiness she had felt for so long was finally becoming filled. There was someone else in her life who was taking care of her, and because of that, she was starting to feel love. A different sort of love than what she had shared with Goku, but it was love all the same.

She should have felt awkward, or even embarrassed, but all she really felt was relief that what she had suspected was finally confirmed. Chewing on her lip, she came to a crossroads of sorts. It was pointless to continue denying the fact that what she felt for Piccolo, even though she had only truly gotten to know him within the last four months or so, was deeper than just friendly affection. She didn't quite understand it herself, but she had come to depend on him more so than she had ever depended on Goku simply because of the fact that he had been here for her during one of the most difficult times of her life and he hadn't made any motions to leave or renege on his original promise. And, if she was honest with herself, his dependability had been evident as far back as when Goku had spent that year on Yardrat before coming home after defeating Freiza. Even though she hadn't seen him, Gohan had told her he was watching out for their family while Goku was away. She had been angered at the time, not understanding Piccolo's intentions, but now, they were laid out for her to see and understand clearly.

Steeling her resolve, she took in a deep breath and looked Piccolo directly in the eyes.

"I'm sorry if that kiss startled you a bit. It wasn't intentional. At least, it wasn't intentional back then."

With that said, she tugged on his arm, pulling him closer towards where she was standing, which was difficult considering how much taller he was than she and the fact that her protruding stomach was somewhat in the way. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips across his jawbone and then backed away, releasing his hand from her own.

She could tell by Piccolo's widened eyes and partially open mouth, which exposed the edges of his incisors against his lips, that he was surprised by her rather bold move. However, he recovered quickly and snapped his eyebrows together, screwing his face into a hideous grimace before backing away from her. If it wasn't for the fact that she could see a faint blush starting to spread over his cheeks, she would have thought that he was seriously upset with her. Instead, she had a feeling that her intentional kiss had unsettled him more than it had upset him and he was trying to hide his reaction.

"What the hell was that for?"

"It was a kiss, dummy! A real one to thank your for being such a chivalrous gentleman."

"I am not chivalrous, nor am I a gentleman."

Shaking her head slightly, she moved in closer to the Namekian who was taking up space in her small kitchen, pleased when he didn't back away. It was almost as though he was trying to prove that her odd behavior wasn't making him nervous, but she could tell by the way his eyes were darting slightly that she was having some sort of effect on his usually rather cold and placid demeanor.

Gently putting her hand on his arm, she looked up into his face, a face that she had come to rely on in the past months. Whatever happened, she wasn't looking forward to when he decided to have less of a presence around her home after the baby was born, and she wanted him to understand that as well. Knowing that a kiss on the lips would be too forward and aggressive, especially since she wasn't sure what Piccolo's reaction would be to such a move, she opted for something that would partially show her feelings for him and that would be more natural between the two of them.

Wrapping her arms around his back, she pressed her face against the rough fabric that made up his fighting gi, letting out some of the pent up emotions and frustration she had felt in regards to him spill forward.

"I don't want you to leave. I've come to…I've come to depend on you, I suppose. And so has Gohan. He's been happier since you've become…. Well, you've become like part of our family."

At first, she was afraid that he wouldn't respond to her actions or statements as she laid herself out to him in such a vulnerable way. However, to her happiness, she felt his stiff body loosen up. Slowly, his arms crept up along her body, tentatively returning the embrace until she felt like she was going to drown in his warmth. Goku had hardly, if ever, held her like this and it was something she had craved for a very long time. There was something undeniably comforting about being held in the arms of someone you cared about, and it didn't matter to Chi-Chi in the least that the person she was having these deep feelings of attachment for wasn't human. All she really wanted was somebody who would be there for her.

With her face pressed against his chest, Chi-Chi could feel Piccolo take in a deep breath before his voice tickled across her the top of her head.

"I don't know where you get such stupid ideas in your head. It was never my intention to just disappear after the baby is born. You shouldn't worry about something that's months away as it is. Foolish human."

She wanted to smack him for making light of her concern, but he had just relieved some of the anxiety she had been feeling of late as well as making it clear he wasn't about to abandon her like Goku had the habit of doing. Instead, she squeezed her arms around him tighter and let out the breath of uncertainty that she had been holding in slowly leave her system. He wasn't going to leave her.

"Of course I'm not going to leave you."

And this time, instead of feeling his breath tickle across her scalp, there was no mistaking the slight pressure against the crown of her head. Blushing slightly, she smiled into his gi and thought how nice it would be if he could truly understand and appreciate what she really felt for him.

_Chi-Chi has sort of revealed her developing feelings towards Piccolo, but Piccolo has yet to do the same since he's still sorting things out. Please let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving a review. _


	6. Acceptance

_Another chapter! I don't know why I'm so addicted to writing this story, but it has been a long time since I've been this motivated to keep updating one, especially one that hasn't become a pain to write. I'm enjoying this journey into Chi-Chi's and Piccolo's relationship and I hope you are too! Thanks again to my reviewers! I appreciate your feedback!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters._

_Chapter 6-Acceptance_

Piccolo grunted and twisted his head around when Gohan's knuckles grazed the side of his face. Flipping backwards in the air, he landed on his feet and then fazed behind his student, aiming to kick him in the back. But, as always, Gohan's reflexes were much quicker than they had been when Piccolo had started training him years ago. His student easily blocked the blow and ended up returning it by kicking Piccolo in the gut. Ignoring the sudden burst of pain, Piccolo grimaced slightly before he shot a ki blast at his student, which was promptly deflected.

Over the years, the growth in Gohan's potential as a fighter had become astounding. Piccolo had known from the beginning how much latent ability the son of his former rival had locked within him. The fact that he had come so far in such a relatively short period of time, even surpassing his own father, was something that Piccolo was still trying to fully understand. Especially given the fact that Gohan was not a person who enjoyed fighting for the sake of fighting. It was more akin to a pastime for him, not something he would ever consider doing as the staple of his existence, as Piccolo had once thought of his own fighting abilities. However, just as Gohan internally realized that the life of a wandering fighter wasn't for him, Piccolo was slowly starting to have the same sort of feeling growing deep within him as well. There was so much more to life then fighting and killing, something he had begun to discover when he had trained Gohan in the wilderness all those years before. And as he had begun to become even more entrenched in the politics and dynamics that made up Gohan's family, the thought of living the rest of his life in relative solitude up on the Lookout was also slowly losing its appeal.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize that Gohan was aiming another blow at him until he felt the boy's foot connect solidly with his head. His ears could hear the resounding crack of muscle against the bone of his skull and within milliseconds, spots of lights started to form against his eyes, dancing around as his surroundings started to blur and then twist into complete darkness.

He felt himself floating in a void before there was an overwhelming feeling of nothingness. All in all, the sensation was rather pleasant.

However, Gohan wasn't having quite the same reaction.

He watched in slow motion as his foot smashed into the back of Piccolo's skull. Usually, when he tried this move out, Piccolo was able to evade with minimal damage. But for some reason, he hadn't even tried to avoid the blow, as though he hadn't known it was coming. In fact, Gohan doubted he had even erected a ki shield to minimize the impact. So he had taken the full force of the blow that was strengthened by his Super Saiyan form. As soon as his foot connected, Piccolo's body jerked forward and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. With a terrifying realization, Gohan shot forward before his friend could plummet hundreds of feet to his death, if he weren't already dead to begin with. Grabbing Piccolo's gi in his fist, he caught the giant warrior before he became green goo splattered on the white snow below them. Pushing back his fearful tears that he had accidentally gone too far and killed his teacher, Gohan landed on the snow and carefully laid his friend out, melting away a patch of snow with his ki.

Glancing nervously at his friend, he saw in relief that his chest was still moving up and down, indicating that he was breathing. Letting out a sigh, he wiped away the tears that were forming at the corners of his eyes and then he leaned over and started to gently nudge his friend to try and wake him up out of his stupor.

In what seemed like forever to Gohan, Piccolo's eyelids slowly started to flutter open, revealing the charcoal gray irises that made up his eyes. He watched as Piccolo lay there, both of his eyes unfocused as they stared at the blue gray clouds above them that promised more snow. Becoming more agitated, he grabbed hold of Piccolo's shoulder and shook him gently.

"Come on Piccolo, snap out of it! Please!"

Leaning over, he tilted Piccolo's face, noticing that his teacher was slowly blinking his eyes, the haze that had covered them was starting to lift. Groaning softly in pain, Piccolo moved his arm and slowly pushed Gohan away from his body as he struggled to sit up.

"What happened?"

Letting out a shaky laugh to hide some of his overwhelming feeling of relief and slight twinge of guilt, Gohan patted Piccolo on the shoulder before discreetly wincing at the size of the dark bruise that was becoming visible on the back of Piccolo's head. There was no doubt that he was probably going to suffer with a tremendous headache, and lying down wouldn't give it much relief since the tenderness of the tissue surrounding his skull would also be painful. Shaking his head slightly, he answered Piccolo's query.

"Umm, I kicked you in the back of the head and you blacked out."

"Oh."

Piccolo, as always, was extremely stubborn. Slowly, he tried to stand up but a wave of dizziness and vertigo swept over his body, causing him to promptly fall back down in an undignified heap, further added to by the sudden sensation to wretch into the snow. Gagging, he leaned over with his face almost in the snow bank while Gohan watched helplessly from the sidelines.

"Piccolo!"

Grabbing his teacher, he pulled him back up and grabbed his face. Being around fighters for most of his life, Gohan knew that Piccolo was more injured than he was trying to let on. One of his eyes was dilated, while the other was not, which indicated to Gohan that his teacher was most likely suffering from a severe concussion. He had a feeling that his mother was going to kill him and when Piccolo finally started to feel like himself again, he'd probably be in on it as well.

"Come on Piccolo! We should head back to my house."

He tried to push Piccolo up, but all he did was agitate the Namekian further. Piccolo forcefully grunted and pushed his hands away before he collapsed onto his back, breathing shallowly through his mouth as he watched the gray sky above with unfocused eyes.

Now Gohan was starting to get desperate. He'd injured Piccolo before in their mock fighting, just as Piccolo had injured him numerous times in the past. But it had never been anything like this and he was suddenly afraid. It was early November and the temperatures had dropped dramatically around Mount Pazou. It was cold and the scent in the air promised that they were soon going to have a snowstorm on their hands as they had everyday for the last few weeks. If he couldn't get Piccolo to move, he could die. And if his head injury were severe enough, that could also cause his untimely demise. Cursing himself for being so stupid to use his full strength and cursing Piccolo for being preoccupied with thoughts that were a distraction during a battle, Gohan once again tried to get Piccolo to stand up.

"Come on Piccolo! We can't stay out here. It's only a little ways to my house and then you'll be warm and my mom will make you feel better. Don't you want that? I know you like it when my mom fawns over you. So please, let me pick you up!"

Apparently, Piccolo's brain was very muddled because he slowly tried to focus his gaze on Gohan before softly replying to the boy's frantic plea.

"Chi-Chi? What happened? What are you doing out here in the cold? You're an idiot."

"Wha…Piccolo! Snap out of it. It's me, Gohan! Not Mom and I already told you what happened."

Gohan wasn't prepared for what happened next. He was about to lightly slap Piccolo in the cheek when Piccolo's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, yanking him down on top of his body in an awkward position.

"Mmmm, Chi-Chi, you smell nice. I don't know why, but you do. Even though you're an idiot and a pain in the ass."

Too much information, Gohan's mind registered in a panic as Piccolo's arm started to wrap tightly around his back. He'd had his suspicions for a while that Piccolo's interest in his mom was more than a promise to just make sure she was looking out for herself until the baby came, but Piccolo was terribly clever at hiding his feelings. No matter how hard he had tried to catch his mentor in the act of making a move on his mother, or at least getting him to admit that he liked his mother as more than just as a compulsory obligation, none of his efforts had born any fruit. And the same was true with his mother. However, having a blow to the head was affecting Piccolo's sense of judgement, and his suspicions were finally being confirmed in an altogether uncomfortable way.

Pushing against Piccolo's chest, Gohan broke free of the strong grip his teacher possessed and scrambled away, landing on his rear with his hands on the ground supporting his upper body.

"I'm Gohan Piccolo! Gohan, not Chi-Chi! And we have to get home."

"G…Gohan? Where am I? What happened?"

Rubbing his head in frustration, Gohan stood up and then walked over to where Piccolo was still lying on the ground. Peering into his teacher's face, he crossed his arms and glared at the injured Namekian.

"I…already…._told_…._YOU!_ Snap out of it! We are going home and that's final. I don't care if you want to lay out here in a daze until you turn into a giant green Popsicle, but I don't want to freeze to death and I don't think my mother would appreciate it if either one of us kicked the bucket."

Bending over, he grabbed Piccolo's arm and yanked him upright, ignoring the sudden sounds of distress coming from his friend. Throwing his body over his shoulder, he tried his best not to sense the tremors running through Piccolo's body from the sudden change in position. Readying the two of them, he shifted positions and then blasted into the air, making as much as speed as he could to reach his home as quickly as possible.

In less then five minutes, the two of them were on the doorstep of Gohan's house. Kicking the door open with his foot, he walked inside, dragging Piccolo with him.

The house was warm and snug feeling. As he rounded into the small living room, he watched as his mother awkwardly got out of her rocking chair, throwing her knitting to the floor as she tried to quickly make her way over to where Gohan was standing with Piccolo slung over his shoulder.

"Gohan! Piccolo! What….what happened?"

Chi-Chi clumsily maneuvered her body around to where Gohan was still standing, finding her way to where Piccolo's head was almost touching the ground. Bending forward, it wasn't difficult for her to see the massive bruise forming on the back of his head. Wincing slightly, she realized that his mock fight with Gohan must have somehow gotten out of hand, with Gohan being the clear victor. Straightening up, she decided to take control of the situation, since it was obvious to her from Gohan's body language and lack of an answer that he was upset with what had happened.

"I can tell that your fighting must have went overboard. He's got a nasty bruise on the back of his head and I'm concerned that he's still unconscious. But I'm pretty sure that he'll be fine. Gohan, I want you to take him upstairs and gently put him on my bed. And then I want you to fly to Korin's tower and see if he has any Senzu beans. If he doesn't, go to the Lookout and get Dende. This could be a serious injury."

Gohan nodded his head dumbly and did what he was instructed, taking Piccolo up the stairs. Following behind her son, she watched as he gently deposited the Namek on her bed, ignoring the groaning coming from the prostrate alien.

Backing away from the bed slightly, she noticed how stiff Gohan was before he turned around to face her.

"Mom, he isn't going to die, is he? I didn't kill him, did I?"

Sighing slightly, Chi-Chi walked over to her distraught son and pulled him into a hug, even though her ever expanding mid-section made such a gesture of comfort awkward. Hearing him sniffle against her shoulder, she rubbed his back in a motherly fashion and then pulled him away from her, making sure he was looking her in the eyes.

"Piccolo will be just fine. He's not bleeding, his breathing seems fairly regular, and he's got a heartbeat. I just want you to get the Senzu beans or bring Dende along just in case something unforeseen happens. And it will help free up my bed so I don't have to sleep on the couch. Just don't worry about anything. Your father has been injured worse than this and he made it out just fine. Okay?"

Gohan nodded slightly before he backed away and walked out the door, giving Piccolo a long glance before he disappeared out the door and walked down the stairs. Chi-Chi relaxed slightly when she heard the outside door open and close, indicating that Gohan had decided to follow her directions and was already on his way towards Korin's tower.

Stepping towards the bed she had once shared with Goku, she couldn't help but feel a slight flutter of anticipation, although she didn't know why she would feel that way to begin with. Maybe it was the fact that Piccolo was in her bed, in her most private of sanctuaries and he needed her help. Or maybe…she was just thinking ridiculous and foolish thoughts. Letting out a deep breath, she focused her mind on getting something to help with the pain Piccolo must be feeling. Taking one last sidelong glance at her guest, she turned around and walked out of the room and across the hall to the small indoor bathroom she had had Goku put in after he had gotten back from Yardrat.

Pulling out a small basin, she filled it with cool water and took out a soft wash cloth. She hoped that Piccolo would gain back consciousness soon, because the fact that he was still out cold was disturbing. For all she knew, his skull could be cracked and there could be bleeding going on underneath the bone, causing swelling of his brain. If that were the case, she prayed that Korin had a Senzu bean or that Dende could heal him back to the way he was before he had gotten the head injury. She didn't want to think about what he would be like, should the injury to his head cause permanent damage that was irreversible.

Turning back into her bedroom, she stepped across the old wooden floor and then sat at the edge of her bed, placing the basin between herself and Piccolo. Leaning over to the side, she dipped the washcloth in the cool water and rung it out. Murmuring gently to him, she tipped his head to the side so that she could have access to the injury. Placing the cloth on his head, she observed as he winced unconsciously and then let out a low moan. There was no doubt in her mind that it had to hurt. And there was also no doubt in her mind that she needed to bring him back to consciousness. The longer he was out of it, the more worried she was becoming.

Taking the basin of water, she moved it over to the nightstand and then scooted in closer to where Piccolo was laying. Placing her hand against his warm cheek, she gently rubbed it against his face, feeling the dryness and smoothness of his skin. Moving her face close to his ear, she whispered loudly enough that she knew it should garner some response from him, with his hearing being as sensitive as it was.

"Piccolo, please wake up."

He groaned slightly and his eyes slowly blinked open. There was a dazed and confused look to them and no doubt, he was wondering where he was. Backing away from him slightly, she pushed him down when he tried to struggle and sit up.

"Shhh Piccolo, don't move. You've got a nasty bump on your head and Gohan is going to get help."

"Chi-Chi?" he croaked out, his throat working as he tried to dissipate the dryness that had settled there. "I thought you were outside. Or was I with Gohan?"

Once again, in his confusion, he tried to sit back up, but Chi-Chi wasn't going to let him and then have him either throw up from dizziness or pass out again from any sudden moves.

"Just stay still Piccolo. Trust me when I say you'll feel better if you do."

To her relief, he nodded his head slightly before his eyes slowly started to track to the left, taking in his surroundings. She watched him for a few seconds before she leaned over and took the cloth from the back of his head, dampening it again with the water in the basin before placing it back on his bruise. With that done, she let out a tired yawn and then placed her hands on her lap as she watched him try to stay conscious.

"How badly does your head hurt?"

He grunted slightly before replying, his words slightly slurred from his sideways position on the bed.

"It feels like…Freiza's got his tail around it…squeezing it until it pops."

Supposing that must mean it hurt like hell, Chi-Chi sighed. She had thought about giving him some ibuprofen to help with the pain and the swelling, but she wasn't sure if human medicines would work on Namekian physiology. So instead, she had to opt to keep him comfortable and to keep him awake until Gohan returned. Unconsciously, she started to stroke his cheek softly, humming a soft tune she had used to sing when Gohan was a baby. It didn't have any words, but she could vaguely recall her own mother singing it to her as a child, before she had died when Chi-Chi was still very young.

"You smell nice."

Stilling her hand, she glanced over to where Piccolo's unfocused eyes were trying to stay on her face.

"I…I smell nice?"

"And you're…confusing."

Leaning away from him, she slid her hand back to her side before shifting her position slightly so she could look at him easier.

"What do you mean that I'm confusing?"

She watched as he visibly struggled to find the words he wanted to say to her. His head injury was making it more difficult for him to focus on specific words to convey what it was he was trying to get across.

"I…don't under…understand. I don't like you, or maybe I didn't? I didn't like you…but now I do. You are…you are making me feel things I'm not familiar with. I thi…think that you're pleasing to…to look at. You're pretty. Pretty Chi-Chi that Goku left behind. You…you're stubborn…proud and pr…pretty. It's not normal…normal for me to…to think that. I'm a Namek. Y…you're human. Humans are ignorant….and so am I."

Slowly, Chi-Chi tried to make sense of Piccolo's mumbled and jumbled words. He thought she was pretty? He liked her? Part of her wanted to push off his uncomfortable statements as the product of his head injury, but she knew that she wasn't being honest with herself or with Piccolo. But then again, how much of his strange confession would he remember once he was healed by the Senzu bean or by Dende? Maybe it would be better to just ignore his ramblings and continue on as they had been since he'd become such an important part of her family. It wasn't that she found his pseudo confession unflattering. The truth was, it made butterflies swirl in her stomach, especially since he thought she was…she was pretty. How long had it been since someone had told her she was attractive? And considering the fact that her stomach was a swollen beach ball, being told she was attractive, even from a loopy Piccolo, was complimentary. Deciding to try to get him to relax, she once again started to stroke his cheek.

"Shhh, it's going to be fine. Don't think about things that make you…nervous. It will only make things worse. Just relax and think of something pleasant until Gohan gets back."

His eyelids drooped until they were half closed. She was afraid that he was going to pass out again when his deep voice rumbled forward softly.

"You're pleasant t…to think about. I…I think 'bout you…a lot. Even when I try not to. Wh…why do I think about you? I sh…shouldn't feel or think anything about you. It's not…"

Bending in closer to his face, Chi-Chi tried to peer into his clouded eyes.

"Don't think then Piccolo. I mean, about me."

His eyes snapped open all the way and his head jerked back slightly, away from her face.

"You…you don't understand. I…I can't stop. I want…want what isn't mine to have. You're making me forget wha…what I am. And I kn…know that it can't be."

Backing away from him, Chi-Chi wondered not for the first time if her rather one-sided love for Piccolo wasn't really one-sided. If he was feeling this much anguish inside of him, which he had kept bottled up, maybe she hadn't been misinterpreting some of the signs he had been giving off for the last couple of months. Maybe it was pointing to…to something more then just an obligation, then just an ordinary friendship.

Setting aside her own sense of excitement and guilt over the fact that maybe Piccolo reciprocated some of her own feelings, she carefully thought of what to say to help ease his apparent discomfort and anxiety.

"Look Piccolo, I don't know much about Namekians. I really don't. And I could see why you'd be scared of things, of feelings that you don't understand. I've been feeling the same way. But right now, I just want you to focus on what it is you mediate on until Gohan gets back and really try to get rid of any thoughts that make you nervous or uncomfortable. And I'll…I'll be right here next to you until he gets back, so you don't have to be alone, okay?"

Apparently, her words seemed to work because the muscles in his body visibly relaxed as he nodded his head and then closed his eyes. Afraid that he was in the process of passing out again, Chi-Chi lightly tapped his cheek and whispered his name.

"Piccolo?"

Immediately, his eyelids opened and he looked at her before closing them again. Satisfied that he was not falling back into an unhealthy unconsciousness, she decided to re-dampen the cloth on the back of his head. Within a few seconds, she was re-applying the cloth to the back of his head, which earned her a slight whine of pain from her patient. She couldn't help but smile slightly to think that Piccolo could make such noises, when most of the time, he was so sedate that it didn't seem anything could faze him, unless it was something he was completely unfamiliar with.

Pulling her hand away from the back of his head, she once again felt compelled to stroke his cheek, feeling the sharp angular bones that gave his face its particular shape. A shape she had come to find quite pleasing, considering that he looked nothing at all like Goku or any human she had ever known.

What did she really want from Piccolo? She had accepted that she loved him, yet it wasn't in the same way that she had loved Goku. Instead, it was more mature, more relevant to her situation. He was steadfast, he was honest, and he had shown her over and over again in the last few months that both she and Gohan meant something to him deep down inside. That he was willing to give up some of his solitude to check up on her, to make sure that both she and Gohan were both well provided for and well cared for spoke volumes to her. So what did she want? And what did Piccolo want? And what would Gohan say if he knew what his mother felt for his mentor and teacher? It all seemed to be such a complicated mess, but in reality, it wasn't. It just meant that decisions needed to be made and feelings had to be explored, not only by her, but by Piccolo and Gohan as well.

He had told her not to worry about things that were in the future, things that couldn't be controlled. If what his injured mind had made him speak were his actual feelings, it would be up to her to help him understand what it was he was going through and to also not be afraid of what it could mean. But first, he would have to admit outright what it was he had said when he wasn't fully aware of his situation. Would he…would he actually push aside his reserve and consciously expose the inner workings of his mind to her? Perhaps…but she wasn't going to push him to do so. And perhaps, once he recovered, as she had thought earlier, he wouldn't even remember.

Shaking her head slightly, she stopped stroking his cheek and then tapped him again to make sure he was still conscious. Rewarded with a quick opening of his eyelids, she relaxed and then brought her legs up and underneath her on the bed as she watched Piccolo. Minutes passed, and then an hour. During the time she waited for Gohan to return, she kept her vigil over Piccolo's condition. They didn't speak to one another, but there was a comfortable silence between the two of them as they sat next to one another on her bed. She was about to get up to stretch when she heard the door bang open downstairs.

Moving around so that she was facing the door to her bedroom, she didn't have long to wait before Gohan bounded into her room followed quickly by Dende.

"Mom! I'm sorry it took me a while. Korin's still growing some Senzu beans and he doesn't have any ready. I guess Krillin asked for a bunch and took the last of them a couple of weeks ago. And Dende couldn't keep up with me."

She glanced over at the small Namekian boy and smiled sweetly at him, trying to help ease his embarrassment for not getting here as quickly as Gohan had wanted.

"That's quite alright. I've kept Piccolo comfortable and he's somewhat conscious."

Turning back around, she leaned over Piccolo's frame and tapped him on the shoulder, whispering in his ear.

"Piccolo, Dende's here to heal you. Don't try to sit up. He'll be over in a second."

Piccolo's eyes opened slightly and he nodded his head. Pushing herself off the bed, she watched as the small Namekian boy crawled up onto the covers and went over to where Piccolo's injured head was lying against the pillow that Goku had used when he was still alive. Slowly, Dende rose his hands over his friend's head as a glow erupted from them. In a few minutes, the glow dissipated and Dende scrambled back off from the bed, turning around and quickly making his way over to where Gohan was standing nervously and she was waiting to find out his prognosis.

"Gohan, it's fine. Piccolo's going to be okay. You gave him a fractured skull and a bad concussion, but there shouldn't be any lasting effects from it. He just probably won't remember what happened between getting the injury and ending up here."

"Really Dende? He's going to be fine?"

The little Namek shook his head and then smiled shyly at his friend. But Chi-Chi wasn't quite satisfied with his answer.

"Then why is he still lying on my bed if he's fine?"

Turning around, Dende pursed his lips before answering her inquiry.

"Well, I'm not really sure. I think his injury took a lot out of him mentally. We Nameks are really sensitive to injuries like that because of our telepathic nature. I just think he's tired out. From the injury and from some of the mental strain it feels like he's been going through lately. When his mind feels like it's under control, he'll come to."

"Piccolo's been going through mental strain lately?" Gohan asked, his curiosity peaked by such a strange answer coming from his friend.

Dende shook his head in a positive motion.

"Yes. I'm not really sure why, but he's been preoccupied lately and I can sense that his meditation, which keeps him centered, hasn't been as concentrated as it usually is. So that would throw him off and cause a great deal of stress as well as a lack of focus. I guess that would make sense why his fighting style has been off to you lately Gohan and why this accident happened. So my advice is to just let him have his rest. He'll come around and then I'll…I'll try to figure out what's been bothering him when he comes back to the Lookout."

Taking a slightly nervous look at Piccolo, Dende turned his eyes back to Chi-Chi and Gohan, noticing the slightly guilty look on Chi-Chi's face. Shrugging it off as unnecessary human concern, he walked over to where Gohan was and took his hands, squeezing them in a familiar and loving way.

"I've got to be going Gohan. Come by and visit me up at the Lookout sometime. It gets kind of lonely up there with just Mr. Popo around, since Piccolo's been scarce lately."

Whispering conspiratorially, he winked slightly at Gohan's pleased face.

"And when Piccolo _is_ around, he isn't nearly as much fun as you are."

Gohan nodded his head in acceptance of the offer and then followed Dende out the bedroom door, leaving Piccolo and Chi-Chi alone once more.

Walking over to the bed, she saw immediately that the terrible swelling and bruising was gone and that Piccolo was in a deep state of normal relaxation. She'd never actually seen him sleep before, but he looked…pleasant. She tried to ease away the uneasiness that she was the one responsible for Piccolo's mental stress, but she wondered deep down inside if that was the reason Dende said he'd been off lately. Letting out a deep sigh, she leaned over the bed and gently brushed a kiss against his forehead. Straightening up, she walked over to the single chair that took up residence in her bedroom and pulled an afghan that she had made from it, covering Piccolo before she shuffled out of the room, turning off the lights and gently closing the door behind her.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had been in Chi-Chi's room before he finally found himself swimming to consciousness. It must have been hours, since the sky was dark and there was very little light seeping through the window. Still, he couldn't seem to motivate himself to move from the comfort of the bed he was laying on, even if his frame was somewhat too large to fit properly, his feet dangling slightly off the end.

Glancing up at the ceiling, he put his hands behind his head as he tried to put together what had happened so that he had ended up here. By the sounds of it, the house was already tucked away for the night, with only the creaks and groans of the old boards keeping him company as he thought.

Letting out a sigh, he crinkled his brow as his introspection went backwards. It was all very muddled and confusing. He could remember Gohan kicking him, but he couldn't remember how he gotten here. But he did remember having Chi-Chi sit next to him on the bed and he could vaguely recall…

Cursing under his breath, he realized that he must have spilled forth some of his own confusion about what he was feeling of late. Hopefully…

No, not hopefully. He was driving himself crazy, and his lack of concentration had ended up with him having a possibly fatal injury simply because he couldn't keep his thoughts focused on where they needed to be.

He was…he was a Namekian. He was, as far as he knew, supposed to be unable to find others…attractive, or want to have a certain sort of relationship with them that only happened between two individuals that wanted to settle down and have a family. But that sense of something he had for Chi-Chi, that he had kept trying to deny, was only getting stronger and with that came the realization that he found her…he found her attractive.

But nothing could ever come of that attraction. He couldn't be with her in the sense that Goku had been with her, even if that was something he desired, which he wasn't really sure about. It wasn't possible for him to be like that. So why was he feeling this way, to the point where he was having a hard time on focusing on other thoughts besides how he resented what Goku had had and given up and what he could never hope to gain.

There was no future for him and…Chi-Chi. The fact that he even wanted one was more than a bit disturbing. However, he could sense that part of the pull within him came from the fact that Namekians were social beings who had strong family bonds between one another and their communities. For most of his early life, he had been alone. It wasn't until he had met Gohan that his longing for some sort of connection with someone besides himself had become apparent. And now he wanted that connection to become more concrete by actually becoming part of the family he had watched over for years. Goku had abandoned something that was good and worthwhile for the sake of testing his own boundaries in strength and skill, yet in doing so, he had left a void that had needed to be filled for both Gohan and Chi-Chi. Somehow, unwittingly, he'd started to take up where Goku had left off and now he wanted what Goku had had. And he felt wretched for being so vindictive as to want to take from his friend and former rival what he had selfishly left behind in pursuit of his own goals.

God, it was so fucked up. It was like no other agony he had ever felt before and finally becoming aware of his own twisted feelings was making him feel worse, if that was possible. Besides, what would Chi-Chi say if she knew? He wasn't human. He could never be what Goku had been to her. Not in a physical sense in any case. So was it selfish and cruel for him to want to clearly know what she thought about him? And was it cowardly of him to not want to admit his own thoughts because he thought his offering of self might repulse her?

Sitting up in the bed, he felt the blanket Chi-Chi must have placed on him slide down his body. He wasn't going to be able to relax if his thoughts kept twisting around in his head like some sort of cruel snake. The only thing that would help would be to finally accept how things had shifted between himself and Chi-Chi, and in doing so, he would have to tell her what he wanted and find out what she thought in return. He could understand for the first time why humans had always seemed to become fixated on attraction and relationships between males and females, or even relationships between two of the same sex. They were confusing and they were…terrifying. He grinned weakly to himself, finding such a pathetic weakness within himself ridiculous. However, it was there and he couldn't deny it, even if he wished to.

Standing up, he decided he had spent long enough at the Son household. He had realized as soon as he had woken up that he was in Chi-Chi's bedroom, which meant she had to be sleeping somewhere else. Making his way to the door, he opened it slowly and let his eyes adjust to the dimness before he sought out her ki. It was rather easy to find and identify, especially since there was another small ki signature residing within her. Crossing the hallway, he opened the door to Gohan's bedroom, finding Chi-Chi sleeping uncomfortably on the narrow mattress.

Making a decision, he walked over to where she was sleeping on her side with her back turned to him. Bending down next to her, he gently put his arms underneath her shoulders and her rump, carefully picking her up and pulling her close to his body. She stirred weakly against him, her long hair hanging down from her head as he started to leave the room and walk back over to where she normally slept.

Slowly, he deposited her in the bed and then took the blanket that she must have put on him carefully around her body, tucking it in snugly around her like a cocoon. He was about to turn around and leave when he noticed that her eyes were open and she was watching him. Feeling suddenly nervous for no apparent reason, he schooled his face into a blank expression.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked nonchalantly.

He studied her face as she yawned and sat up stiffly in her bed.

"When you put me in this bed, I think. You didn't have to."

He just nodded his head dumbly and then turned around to leave but Chi-Chi's voice stopped him before he had gotten as far as a step away from his starting position.

"Piccolo…Piccolo, why don't you stay? It's late and it's…well, it's silly for you to leave."

He stood rooted to his spot. What was she asking him? To spend the night? He wasn't…he wasn't prepared for that, but there was no use denying the fact that her offer pleased him in some strange sort of fashion. That she wanted him to stay in her home.

"I don't sleep like a human does, so it isn't nece…"

He was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"I know that Piccolo. Dende said something to that effect. But it's dark and it's cold outside, and I think it would be much better if you just put aside your pride and spent the night. It's the least we could do, especially after Gohan nearly…well, could have killed you."

He relaxed slightly before turning back around to face her in the darkness.

"It wasn't his fault. I was distracted, so the blame is entirely on me should something more serious have happened. I hope that he hasn't internalized the accident as something he did on purpose."

Thankfully, Chi-Chi shook her head no, which left him feeling relief that Gohan wasn't unnecessarily suffering over something that had been completely accidental.

"Still Piccolo, just…please just spend the night. I want to make sure that you're all right. I was afraid…afraid that it could have ended up so much worse, although I tried my best not to let Gohan know. He was pretty shook up."

Once again, Piccolo found himself nodding dumbly, a blush starting to creep across his cheeks. She had been afraid for him? It was rather…it felt nice to have someone besides Gohan concerned with his well being. Turning around, he started to head towards her door once more when her voice stopped him yet again.

"Where…where are you going Piccolo?"

"Downstairs. I'll bring Gohan back up to his bed and sit on the couch."

He was about to step out the door, his decision made in the back of his head when Chi-Chi said something he wasn't expecting nor was he prepared to hear coming from her.

"I…Gohan's fine on the couch. It's a pullout, so he's already bunked down for the night. I meant, you could…could sleep next to me, if you wanted. It's…no, I'm lonely. And…I want to talk to you about something that has been on my chest for a while now."

He could feel his eyes widen in shock and confusion. She wanted him to lie next to her? Did she even know what she was implying? From his own limited understanding of human relationships, sharing a bed with someone was akin to admitting there was a relationship to begin with. And what did he have with her? Did he even have the right to do such a thing to begin with? He was about to say something when he saw Chi-Chi's arm move as she turned on the light next to her bed.

"Look Piccolo, I can see that you don't really understand what it is I'm asking of you. I'm sorry for that, but…can't you see how I feel about you? I…I care about you more deeply than just that of a friend. I want you in my life and I understand if the relationship we share is completely different then the one that I had with Goku. I don't want what I had with Goku. I want stability, I want someone who is there for Gohan and me, and the new baby without taking off and leaving us all in the dust. I want someone like…like you."

He swallowed uncomfortably, the light exposing his discomfort and exposure to what he had been trying to make sense of for the past few months, ever since his obligation had become so much more than what it had started out as.

"Just please Piccolo, tell me what you think. I'm not…I'm not asking or requiring you to give more than you can. What you have done for me, what you have done for Gohan is beyond what I ever expected. And I understand if my feelings for you are one-sided. I just…I just can't keep wondering about what it is you really think…of me."

Raising his hand, he rubbed his forehead awkwardly and then made a decision. He had never been in this sort of predicament before, nor had he ever expected something like this to happen. However, somehow it had, and listening to Chi-Chi's confession gave him hope that she wouldn't be disgusted by what he had to say to her. Straightening up his posture, he walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down, visibly pleasing and surprising Chi-Chi in the process.

He didn't know where to begin. So he just sort of let it spill out, not stopping until it was all out in the open.

"I don't know what I said to you when I was out of it. I can vaguely recall…well, it was all muddled and confusing and I'm sure you couldn't make much sense of it. Look, I appreciate knowing what it is you think and feel for me. But what is it that I feel for you? That's what you want to know, correct?"

He watched as she shook her head, and he swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat. He was…unused to this terror of exposing the inner workings of his mind, but if he didn't finally expose the truth, he would never be able to find the center to himself and his never-ending thoughts would continue to plague him.

"I…I'm a Namekian. Finally going to my home planet, I discovered something I had been missing my entire life, even when I was the Demon King Piccolo. He had craved power and control, but maybe what he had really been searching for was a connection with another being. Namekians have close knit communities that are analogous to human families, event though there is only one sex known to the Namekian species and there is no need to waste energy on the sorts of relationships that humans and other aliens species that have two distinct sexes seek. What I'm trying to say is that I wanted to have what my brethren on Namek-sei have. I wanted to have a connection, a relationship with someone else to help ease the reality of being alone. Meeting Gohan helped me to realize many things, specifically that I could care for someone other than myself to the point where I would willingly sacrifice my life for them. But that longing for a sense of community remained, though I didn't realize that until recently."

Taking in a deep breath, he tried to sort his thoughts into a pattern that would be coherent to Chi-Chi.

"At first, after Goku died, I didn't fault him for deciding to stay in Otherworld, and I thought your behavior after his death was repulsive and wasteful. I started on this journey with my only thought being that I needed to watch out for Gohan, yet…yet things have changed."

"I don't agree any longer with Goku's decision. He threw away something valuable that I don't think he even realized he had. And part of me wishes that_I_ could have what he has given up. Do you want to know what that is, Chi-Chi?"

He watched as she nodded her head yes, her hands clutching the blanket tightly as she waited for his response. Firming his own resolve, he told her what he had discovered about himself and his relationship with her.

"It's…it's you."

The moment the words slipped quietly past his lips, he watched in uneasiness as Chi-Chi promptly burst into tears, suddenly horrified at what his admission must have made her think. He was about to get up, when her hand snatched his arm and he suddenly found her trying to wrap her arms around his middle.

"Woman, get a hold of yourself," he grunted out sourly, his fear being replaced by relief that she wasn't disgusted with his admission.

"S…sorry. It's just that…I'm happy. I mean, I should feel guilty that I like you and everything, but I can't help but feel happy."

He sighed and waited patiently as she finished crying into the fabric of his gi. Gently pushing her away, he nudged her face with his hand so that she was looking at him before he continued where he had left off.

"I'm still trying to sort things out. How it is that I…well, I find you attractive. Perhaps it's because of this like I have for you. I'm not sure. But you have to understand that I am not like Goku and that what you and he shared, that will never be possible between you and I."

He didn't know if she really understood, but she shook her head in an upward motion indicating that she thought she did.

"I understand that Piccolo. Besides, I already told you that I don't want what I had with Goku. You and he are two completely different people with distinct personalities. I loved Goku, but I…I love you as well. It's just in a different, more mature way."

He swallowed slightly at her admission of love. Nodding his head in acceptance of her statement, he started to feel his body and mind relax for the first time in months. Finally sorting out what it was he felt and admitting it to her had been a good thing.

"So, why don't you just come up here on the bed next to me and lie down? You can have the afghan if you want and I'll get under the covers."

She was serious about sharing a bed with him for the night? He grumbled something unintelligible, but ended up doing as she asked because…because he wanted to please her for some stupid reason.

As soon as he lay back down on the bed, he felt the blanket he had wrapped around her get thrust across his body. Then, the bed shifted slightly as Chi-Chi pulled the covers out from underneath her and then clumsily slipped underneath them. As soon as she was underneath the blankets, she turned out the light, bathing the room in darkness. Once again, he found himself staring at the ceiling lost in thought, slightly uncomfortable and unused to the idea of being this close to a person. Yet, Chi-Chi didn't seem to have his same reservations.

His muscles twitched slightly when he felt her press up against his side, her arms wrapping around one of his own.

"Thanks Piccolo. I've missed this. I hope you sleep well."

After a few minutes, he felt the grip on his arm relax as her soft snores started to fill the room, indicating that she was asleep. He realized that he could leave at any time and she wouldn't be the wiser, but he had agreed to this. No matter how strange it felt, he didn't want to renege on his word. Sighing deeply, he allowed himself to relax, to feel the warmth of the body next to his own. All in all, he was finally starting to possibly understand what it was Chi-Chi had missed, and maybe what it was he had been missing out on in all his time alone.

_Okay, sorry for the extreme length of this chapter. It probably should have been split into two. What does this development between Chi-Chi and Piccolo mean? Will Gohan understand? Find out in the next chapter! And please review if you would like!_


	7. Acknowledgement

_Sorry for the lack of update in two weeks. I didn't mean for that to happen, but life has been very busy for me. I finished up my student teaching last week and I've been trying to work on my portfolio so that I can graduate and apply for my teaching licenses. I've also been job searching and I'm going to be moving…again. And, this chapter was really hard for me to write. I've been working on it for the last two weeks when I've had the time, and it's just taken me forever to get it finished. I hope you all understand. I also want to once again thank all of you who have continued to review. Your reviews have been some of the most detailed I have ever received for a story and that does a lot for my motivation. Really, it does, even though it's been two weeks since the last update. So, I apologize once more! Now, onto the story!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of its characters_

_Chapter 7-Acknowledgement_

Expanding his chest to take in a deep breath, Piccolo slowly drew in air and then exhaled it through his nostrils. Standing on the edge of a flat-topped butte in the middle of the desert, he watched as the sun slowly started to peak above the edge of the horizon. The day promised to be beautiful in this part of the world, and the early morning sunrise was something that he enjoyed watching. Wryly, he wondered if Chi-Chi had ever woken up early just to watch the sky change colors from dusky indigo to vibrant orange and then finally to light blue. There was no doubt in his mind that she was up before the sun welcomed the day, but he doubted she took the time to enjoy the special pleasures this world offered.

Within a few moments, the sun was hanging low in the eastern sky, bathing the surrounding rock formations in a deep shade of orange flecked with dark shadows. As of yet, the temperature was still bearable but in less then two hours, the heat would become oppressive and he'd have to move somewhere else to concentrate on meditating. Still, with what time he was afforded, he settled himself in and levitated about a foot off the ground, his legs and arms crossed as he closed his eyes and lost himself inside the void.

A sense of peace and balance washed through his body, something that had been missing for the last few months. Still…he continued to harbor a deep-rooted sense of discomfort. He'd all but made a fool of himself in front of Chi-Chi and then there was the thought of Gohan. What would Gohan think? What would Gohan say? These ideas were still very fresh and new to Piccolo, just as he was trying to adjust himself to finally accepting what it was he had been feeling towards Chi-Chi since he had become much more familiar with her and the workings of her family without Goku.

Unconsciously sighing, he separated his mind from the discomfort he was feeling and slowly once again found himself in synch with his body. Minutes blended into one another and he could feel the penetrating heat of the sun as it slowly rose higher in the sky. A slight sheen of perspiration started to bead on his head and neck, yet he did not move from his spot or waken from the deep trance he was in, even when he suddenly felt the presence of an incoming ki and the very audible sound of footfalls hitting the surrounding gravel with a crunch.

Not saying anything to the uninvited guest, he waited as they stepped closer to him and then stopped, feeling indecision blaring through the subtle audio clues they unintentionally gave off. Opening one of his eyes, he turned it towards the person who was standing uncomfortably next to him, their foot scrapping away rocks and gravel as it moved back and forth nervously.

"What is it Gohan?"

The boy stopped his nervous gesture and then blushed deeply before replying to his question.

"Umm, Piccolo? If it's not too much trouble…I wanna talk to you about something."

He could have told the boy he was in the middle of meditating, but he was positive that whatever Gohan wanted to talk to him had to do with the nature of his relationship with Chi-Chi. Well, he was still trying to sort that all out, but he knew that he had to be honest with Gohan, especially since the boy had witnessed him when he wasn't himself after that ridiculous blow to the head. Nodding his head curtly, he waited for Gohan to start asking the inevitable questions that would no doubt come to his mind. Yet all the boy did was start to shift the gravel around with his foot once more. Narrowing his eyes, he felt his patience starting to slip as he sat there listening for some sort of response.

"Are you going to tell me what the problem is, or are you going to dig a hole in the rock face with your foot? You didn't track me down for nothing and I don't have the patience to sit and wait for you to get your nerve back."

His comments seemed to snap Gohan back to reality as the boy glanced nervously over to where he was glowering at him. Taking a step backwards, his student pulled back his shoulders and firmed his resolve.

"It's…well, it's something important. But it's getting really hot out here and I'd rather talk somewhere else."

With that said, Gohan backed away a few feet and then took off, streaking across the sky and disappearing over the horizon with a sparkle of light. Getting to his feet, Piccolo brushed off some of the dust that had blown onto him from the constant breeze and locked onto Gohan's ki before taking off and following his student.

Before long, the desert terrain below him changed to rolling plains and soon, the plains gave way to the expanse of the ocean. Sensing Gohan's ki, he realized that the boy and stopped near the coast. Within fifteen minutes, he found where Gohan was sitting underneath a palm tree and landed near him, walking across the shifting sand as the waves gently rolled in and over his shod feet.

Crossing his arms, he sat down next to Gohan and once again found himself waiting for the kid to spit out what was on his mind. He felt uneasy at the prospect of what sort of conversation Gohan was going to bring up, not having had experience in this realm and still not sure about how to put into words what his relationship was with Chi-Chi. And he had a fairly clear idea that this was what Gohan wanted to talk to him about.

He watched as Gohan picked up a fallen coconut and fiddled with it in his hands before he decided to open his mouth and talk.

"Like I said Piccolo, I want to, um, talk to you about something. I mean, it's more like I want to find out about this thing that's been bothering me for a while. So here it…here it is. What exactly do you want with my mother?"

Turning his head slightly, it wasn't hard to read Gohan's expression. His mouth was down turned into a slight frown and there was a wrinkle of concern between his eyes. All in all, he looked more worried then angry, but there was no doubt in Piccolo's mind that Gohan wasn't exactly pleased with what it was he suspected between himself and Chi-Chi. If he had been a typical human, he would have run his hands through his hair nervously and stammered out an apologetic answer. However, he wasn't human and that wasn't his personality. It was better in the long run to get things out in the open and the air cleared before some dangerous misconception took place. And in all honesty, he would have found it strange if Gohan had not had some concern about his mother and the people that she chose to associate with, although it did make him internally feel uncomfortable. Letting out a breath, he shifted his position in the sand before answering.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush or tell you some ridiculous story. You should know me well enough by now to understand that I don't say anything nor do anything unless I mean it one hundred percent. I wanted to make sure your mother was taking care of herself and that she was also taking care of you to the best of her ability. That's how it all started, at any rate."

Gohan nodded his head, but the frown on his face deepened slightly.

"What can I say, Gohan? I don't have…much experience in the realm of human emotional attachments. You were the first person I came to care about, teaching me that it was possible to want to find companionship with others. And as you've grown, I've changed as well. It's not like I intentionally got caught up in the happenings of your family. It just…happened. And the desire to have more than one emotional attachment happened as well."

Gohan nodded his head slowly in understanding, which relieved Piccolo slightly, but this face still looked unhappy…and perhaps, slightly disappointed.

"So, I guess I can ask you this Piccolo. Do you…are you in love with my mom?"

Was he in love with Chi-Chi? Catching himself off guard at the bluntness of Gohan's question, Piccolo grunted a non-committal sound before turning to watch as the whitecaps pounded against the shoreline. He was attracted to her, he found he enjoyed her company even though she was temperamental most of the time, and he had found himself making sacrifices in his own life to make sure she was all right and well cared for. But did that necessarily point to the sort of love that humans spouted off their tongues like honey dripping from a honeycomb? He didn't understand, or more to the point, he didn't understand what his own heart was telling him.

Thinking briefly, he shook his head no in response to Gohan's question.

"I don't believe you. Stop lying to yourself and stop lying to me. And most of all, stop lying to my mother! It was bad enough that dad just left us like he did, but she doesn't need any more disappointment in her life. And in case you didn't know it, she…she likes you _a lot_ Piccolo. Like you're her boyfriend or something!"

Piccolo wasn't completely surprised by Gohan's angry outburst. The boy seemed to possess this uncanny knack of being able to decipher the true feelings behind a person's actions, much like his father had been able to. However, being accused of being a liar was unsettling to Piccolo, especially hearing the accusation from his closest friend, for all intents and purposes. Quirking his brow, he observed as Gohan let out some of his internal frustration by standing up and chucking the coconut he had been playing with out into the wide expanse of the ocean before him. Immediately, the water parted as the coconut sliced through the surf, leaving a visible tunnel across the surface of the water. Clearing his throat, he had to come up with something to say that would relieve the boy of whatever worries it was he had in concern over the relationship he had with Chi-Chi.

"Gohan, I can tell you're not happy. Well, anyone with a decent set of eyes can tell you aren't happy. At any rate, you want to hear the truth, or at least what you perceive to be the truth. In all honesty, I don't know what it is that I feel and think about your mother. She is…special? She's special to me, just as you are. But I guess she's special in a different way. Bah, I'm not good at talking about feelings. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Gohan pulled his fingers through his hair and nodded his head in a negative motion before awkwardly sitting back down in the sand next to Piccolo.

"I don't because it sounds to me like you're just trying to skirt around the issue."

"And what exactly is the issue?"

He could hear Gohan growl in frustration as he clenched his hands into fists and screwed his face into an angry expression.

"That you're….that _you're _in love with _my_ mother! And that _you're_ trying to take the place of _my_ father! I mean, come on Piccolo! I wasn't born yesterday, and the fact that you spent the night in our house in my mom's bedroom two days ago has to mean something! People don't just spend the night like that and then disappear for two days unless something happened. And because of what you did, my mom has started to act funny again, like the way she was after dad died."

Those comments took Piccolo by surprise. Well, perhaps it wasn't so surprising that Gohan had known he had spent the night in the same room as Chi-Chi. And, come to think of it, it probably seemed to Gohan like something significant had happened between Chi-Chi and himself. He supposed that was true, in its own way. He had hashed out some of the things he had been feeling about her and she had admitted to having an attachment towards him. However, now this whole conglomeration of emotions between himself and the shrewish female were entering a new realm of absurdity and Gohan was stuck in the middle. And, as it was turning out, his need to finally put to rest the continual discomfort he had been feeling for the last months before returning back the Son household had apparently given Chi-Chi the wrong idea. Internally grimacing, he could kick himself for just expecting her to understand when in reality, she had always had the tendency to form ideas in her head that weren't necessarily true to the point where she would convince herself of their validity.

"Gohan, calm down and think about this rationally. Why would I want to take the place of your father? What point would there be if I did something like that? I'm not Goku and I don't…desire what it was that he had."

_Liar. He already accused you of being one and that's just what you are. A liar._

"Then if you don't desire what he had, why did you sleep with my mother? How come you've made her fall in love with you? _Why_ Piccolo?"

The raw anguish in Gohan's voice made Piccolo visibly wince. He hadn't meant to hurt the boy or his mother. In fact, the opposite was true. Yet, it seemed that the end result of this entire incident had only lead back to pain and suffering for all parties involved. It was turning into a mess of huge proportions and he wasn't sure how to change the situation without readily confronting Gohan with the feelings he had disclosed to Chi-Chi.

_Well Piccolo, the only way to fix things is to be honest with yourself and with him, just like you said you were going to be._

Turning his face towards the water, Piccolo thought of how to explain things to Gohan, including his misconception about what had happened between himself and Chi-Chi when he had given in to her desire for him to spend the night together. Closing his eyes briefly, he brought together his chaotic thoughts, his uneasy feelings, and his need to rectify things for Gohan's sake into one single point. Relaxing slightly, he forced himself to feel in control before finally explaining the truth about how things had shifted since Goku's death.

Pulling his eyelids upward, he glanced over to where Gohan was sitting tersely with his arms crossed as he waited for him to make a decision: to either explain things or ignore his concerns. He knew Gohan was sensitive and as he had mentioned countless times in the past, it wasn't his style to skirt around or avoid confrontations over uncomfortable topics of discussion. Or at least, it hadn't been his style until recently. Exhaling slightly, he noticed as Gohan's eyes narrowed expectantly before he answered his concerns.

"Gohan, I don't know if what I feel for your mother is…love, in the sense of how a human would categorize it. It's more akin to wanting a sense of community, to being a part of something greater than myself. I tried to explain it to her, how I have come to want to be more deeply entwined with your family the more time I have spent with both you and her. But there is no denying the fact that…I enjoy her company and I have grown to resent how Goku threw away something as significant as your mother…and yourself."

Whatever Gohan had been expecting to hear from him, that hadn't been it. His eyes widened visibly and his mouth dropped slightly before he shook his head to clear away the apparent shock he was going through.

"You…you feel that way about my dad?"

Shaking his head, Piccolo replied.

"I do. But understand this Gohan: perhaps a small part of me…wants what he had and decided to shed. In the past, I never wanted that sort of liability, at least on a conscious level. But underneath the underneath…that apparently is an entirely different story. I can't explain it and I don't expect you to understand, but my desire to make sure you were well taken care of has lead to a blossoming of feelings? Of feelings that I have always had but have never taken the time to explore or understand. I never intended for things to have ended up as out of control as they have become. And your mother…well, she has the tendency to over react. I don't know what stupid idea she's planted in her head about my disappearance, but I suppose I'll have to fix that. Baka, overly emotional female."

He smiled wryly over his last statement, an image of a very pregnant Chi-Chi trying to hammer him over the head with her frying pan coming to mind. Schooling his smile back into a thoughtful expression, he turned his attention back to Gohan and the uncomfortable discussion the two of them were having.

"Goku is and has always been a fool and an idiot in the extreme. I can't deny that the sacrifice he made was probably done for the best of intentions, but he could have at least taken the time to see how is actions would affect the people closest to him. I don't want to replace him or the memories you have of him or that your mother has of him. However, I care deeply for you and for…your mother and I will always make sure that the two of you will have what you need to survive."

Watching Gohan, he wasn't sure if his message had been clear enough or if the boy's concerns had been waylaid somehow. For the moment, his head was bent over his hands as he fidgeted slightly, his toes burying themselves in the sand as he thought. Slowly, he raised his face and then moved his head slightly towards him before speaking.

"I…thanks Piccolo. I mean, for wanting to take care of mom and me...and the new baby when it comes. I can see why you would want to do that, I guess. But I think something has to be made clear to you, at least the way I see things."

Straightening his body upright, Gohan turned his face around fully so that he was gazing directly into Piccolo's dark eyes.

"You keep saying you don't know what it is you feel for my mom, that you aren't sure if it's love the way humans feel love. Well, I've known you for a long time and I've seen how you've been acting since dad died. At first, when you started looking after mom, and me, you were really aloof to her and grouchy. But then, it started to change and she started to become…become really happy, especially when you'd show up. I mean, it didn't take me too long to figure out that she liked you Piccolo. And I kinda wondered if you felt the same way."

"I had my suspicions, but you're always so reserved about stuff and when I tried to get you to fess up, you'd just get mad at me. Well, I know the truth now, even if you still can't see it. Or maybe, it's just hard for you to admit to having such…such human feelings to begin with. It's more than obvious to me that you love my mom. It has been for a while, but it's hard for me to get used to the idea of another man taking the place of my dad, even though he made his choice to leave mom and me by ourselves. So, I'm sort of sorry for being angry with you, but you've gotta stop lying to yourself about what you think about my mom. She's convinced she crossed a line by letting you sleep over, although she hasn't told me anything. It's just that she isn't really sure about you, and now she's afraid of losing you too. And even if I don't like the thought of somebody filling in where my dad left off, I'd rather it be you then some strange person I've never met and have no idea what they'd be like. At least with you, I know all about you."

Gohan's words struck a feeling deep within Piccolo's heart. He felt…happy to know that the son of his former rival wasn't completely against his developing relationship with Chi-Chi. And he also felt a certain amount of relief, finally having this much needed discussion even if he had been trying to avoid it because of his own uncertainties. Certainly, there were issues that needed to be resolved, and no matter what Gohan thought about his love for Chi-Chi, he still wasn't sure if that was what he really felt. His own views of human love were tainted with the experience of watching first Yamcha and then Krillin make idiots of themselves over the supposed females they were attracted to. Well, since he couldn't act in that particular way, he had decided long ago that love was purely ridiculous and foolish, even when he could acknowledge love for Gohan such as a father would feel for their offspring. However, it was different with Chi-Chi. He certainly didn't have any paternal feelings in regards to her. Grunting to himself in frustration, he pushed those uncomfortable thoughts to the back of his mind and stood up.

Watching a crab scuttle across the sand from where he had disturbed it with his foot, Piccolo turned towards where Gohan was seated.

"Let's head back. I suppose I'm going to have to knock some sense into your mother's head about worrying herself over something stupid. And I'm sure you have studying you're supposed to be doing. It's probably in your best interest to get back to the books, unless you want your ass blistered from that frying pan of hers."

Smiling slightly, he observed Gohan as he stood up and stretched, chuckling slightly over his attempt at making a joke.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Piccolo. But I'd be more worried about what she's going to do to you. You're in deep trouble! And I'm not going to feel the least bit sorry when you walk out of our house today bawling your eyes out. Sucker!"

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he was about to slap Gohan in the back of the head when the boy smacked his butt in a lewd gesture and then took off towards Mount Pazou. Frowning slightly, he wondered if this was just a stage of development Gohan was going through or if he was going to have to talk to Master Roshi about keeping his perversions to himself whenever Gohan happened to decide to visit the island. If indeed, those gestures were related to human sexuality. It wasn't like Gohan to act like that, but then again, he was a growing into manhood and he supposed acting like that came with the territory. Shaking his head, he powered up and then followed Gohan's energy trail back towards the place he had unintentionally been avoiding.

Once again, as he was soaring through the air, he watched the terrain below him change as he moved in a northwesterly direction. The warm air from the coast changed and before long, the temperature was frigid as he moved into the mountain range where Gohan's home was located.

Within a few minutes, he found himself standing just outside the doorway of the small house Chi-Chi and Gohan shared. His breath billowed out in white puffs as he stood poised to knock on the door, the cold hair making his exposed skin prickle up in reaction to the temperature. His hand was about to strike the wooden surface, when the door burst open and the woman he apparently needed to talk to was standing directly in front of him.

She was bundled up to protect herself from the cold so that only her dark eyes and the pale skin around them were exposed to the air. Taking a step back in surprise, he quickly regained his equilibrium when he snatched the pail she had been holding out of the air before it hit the ground with a loud clatter as she let go of it in fright.

Feeling unusually tense, he set the pail down next to him on the stoop and took in a steadying breath before he waited for her to start screaming at him. Instead, all she did was step back into the house, which took him by surprise.

"Chi-Chi?"

"I…Piccolo. Gohan said you were coming."

With that said, she tried to sneak around him to pick up her pail, but he snatched her arm before she had the chance to follow up on her intentions.

"Piccolo, you can let go of my arm. I have to run out to the chicken coop and water the chickens. The sooner you let me grab my pail, the faster I'll be done. So…"

Frowning at her, he didn't release her arm like she wanted him too. Instead, he used his larger stature and height to back her up inside the house before turning around and closing the door behind him. It was freezing outside, and the longer the door was left open, the more heat would escape from the cozy warmth emanating from the inside of the small cottage surrounding them. Besides, he was concerned for her, especially since according to Gohan, she was well into the late stages of her pregnancy. Of what he had pieced together, now was the time were she really wasn't supposed to doing anything in the extreme. Once again, he was caught thinking about how foolish and stubborn she could be when she convinced herself of some of the strange ideas that apparently floated across her mind. And, watching her exposed eyes, she still didn't appreciate it when he decided to take some of her control away.

"Just what do you think you're doing? I've got work that needs to be done and I…"

He didn't let her finish. Instead, he pulled her closer to his body and then started to take off her hat and scarf, ignoring her sputtering and scathing remarks. As soon as he got to her winter parka, he abruptly let her go and then crossed his arms as he showed his strong disapproval over her actions through a dark frown and the deep creases between his brows and on his forehead.

"Take of your jacket and have a seat. You aren't going out there and doing something stupid just because you have some strange idea in your head."

Ignoring her grumbling, he stepped around where she was standing and stood at the bottom of the stairs, glancing towards where Gohan's bedroom door was closed tightly.

"Gohan!"

He bellowed out his student's name, rewarded when the door opened and Gohan stuck his head outside, glancing down to where Piccolo was standing.

"Hehe, you made it back! I'll just…"

"Get down here and heat some water up so your mother can have a cup of that stuff you call tea. Once it's made, bring it into the living room and then get back to whatever it is you do in your room."

Hearing the no nonsense sound in Piccolo's voice as well as seeing his friend standing and looking as though he had just chewed through a bucket of nails, Gohan quickly stepped out of his room and ran down the stairs. Whipping past Piccolo he made his way into the kitchen to start boiling water for his mother's cup of tea. Glancing over towards where his mother was seated, he wondered if he needed to revise his previous assessment that Piccolo would be the one crying after surviving his mother's temper tantrum. Shaking his head, he grabbed the tea kettle and started filling it with water as he heard the floor boards creak, indicating that Piccolo was moving over to where his mother was seated on the old sofa in the living room.

Meanwhile, Piccolo had walked over to where Chi-Chi was sitting, noticing that she looked upset over his intrusion. Standing in front of her, he moved in close enough so that his calves were touching her knees, making it impossible for her to get up and move should she try to walk away from their much needed discussion. His actions didn't go unnoticed by Chi-Chi, who swallowed uncomfortably and pushed herself farther back against the worn cushions of the sofa.

"What foolishness have you convinced yourself of? Gohan said that you have taken up some strange ideas and seeing you trying to go out and feed the chickens or water them, or whatever the hell you were trying to do to them makes me concerned. Haven't I already told you that you need to look out for yourself? What makes you think I would go back on my word? And since you're so ready and eager to revert back to the way you were right after Goku died, I wonder if those things you told me were just that…things."

Part of him wondered if she would indeed rally against him, her anger and frustration over his own inability to make things clear between the two of them becoming her focal point. Instead, her reaction wasn't exactly what he expected.

Instead of yelling at him or pushing against him in typical Chi-Chi fashion, she didn't move. She just sat on the couch and lowered her face, her hands clenching and unclenching as she just…sat there.

Taking an uncertain half step back, he tried to think of something to say, but she beat him to the punch. Her soft voice broke through the silence, although it was obviously clouded with pain.

"You left Piccolo. I mean, what I asked of you…what I told you. Do you think that was easy for me? It was hard Piccolo; really, really hard. And then you just took off like Goku would do when things would get too intense. At first I thought you just didn't want to bother Gohan, that you weren't ready for what he would do if he found you in that sort of position with me. I thought you'd come back like you always do. But then one day passed, and then another. I thought I had scared you away, that I had ruined yet another chance of having a good relationship with someone. I try to put up this front that I'm indestructible, that I'm impervious to pain. But the more I try, the more I realize that I'm only just fooling myself. I'm…weak. And the weak part of me is afraid that you decided…"

She stopped talking suddenly and he realized immediately that they weren't alone. Without turning towards Gohan, he motioned him to set the tea down on the battered coffee table.

"Gohan, just leave it there and go upstairs to finish your studying."

He could hear Gohan's soft footfalls and the subtle creaks and groans on the wooden staircase as the boy followed his directions, leaving him alone with Chi-Chi to finally sort out the mess they found themselves in once again. Turning around slightly, he picked up the cup and sat it down next to Chi-Chi on an end table before he came to a very un-Piccolo like decision and sat next to her on the couch. After all, he had lain next to her on her bed, so sitting next to her on the sofa was fairly insignificant compared to that. Trying to hold back a blush that was forming on his cheeks, he gently took his hand and put it under Chi-Chi's chin, pulling her face towards his own so that she could see how mistaken she was about her thoughts regarding herself with him.

There were tears in her eyes, something that he'd witnessed so many times in the past few months he wasn't terribly surprised. However, he was puzzled over the fact that for the first time, he could perhaps understand why she would let herself show such a weakness like tears in front of him and seeing them didn't anger him like they had in the past. Instead, it made him feel guilty that he had left to restore his own sense of balance without thinking through the significance of Chi-Chi's statements and actions and how his behavior might lead her to think something other than what it truly meant.

"You thought I decided to just leave you? Do you think I would have listened to your professions and then made my own confession just to leave you as though nothing happened? I've been a cold bastard in the past, but I'm not…not really like that anymore. At least, where it concerns you and Gohan, I'm not. I've given you my word Chi-Chi and I won't go back on it, no matter how things change."

Letting go of her face, he was relieved to see her scrub away her tears and take in a shuddering breath before she looked up at him with a watery smile on her face. Feeling uncomfortable and still unsure of things, he tried to look away from her obvious relief, wondering how he had ended up so high on her list of people she esteemed above others. How she could admit to…loving him when he couldn't understand or admit to the same thing.

He was about to stand up when he felt the soft skin of her hand brush along the underside of his jaw before turning his face back towards hers, just as he had done to her. Her eyes were luminous, the remnants of her tears sparkling along her dark eyelashes. Not for the first time in recent months, he was struck by how lovely she was when she wasn't screaming, crying, or making faces of frustration and anger. And not for the first time, he could somewhat understand what it was that humans felt when they found themselves attracted to another being. That gut wrenching feeling like stepping off a precipice without a parachute, knowing with certain clarity that your doom was sealed yet willing to pay the price just for a look or acknowledgement from the one person that made you feel such a sense of headiness. That was exactly how he felt when he caught himself peering into her deep, brown eyes.

He sensed her hand as it shifted along his jaw and then moved to his lips, tracing their outline with her index finger. He was about to move when her hand abruptly dropped away, surprising him before he noticed her face moving towards his own. Swallowing audibly, he watched as her eyes closed slightly before he found his own eyes narrowing in on her lips as they progressively came closer to his face. Internally, he told himself that he needed to move away before she did something stupid, but instead, he just sat frozen, like he had the first time this had happened between them. Not moving away, there was no mistake when her soft lips touched his own, nor was there any mistaking in the back of his mind that he didn't really want to move away from it. He shouted names at himself, but they did little good as he closed his own eyelids in response to the unusual, yet comforting sensation. It seemed to convey so much between the two of them that words would only muddle up. Yet it also added to the turmoil within, warning himself that he was only becoming more embroiled than he had ever wished to be, that it had gone far beyond simply taking care of her and Gohan. That he was just as the boy said…in love.

Slowly, he could feel her pull away from him and he opened his eyes, only to see her sitting in front of him with a deep scarlet blush across her face. Looking away briefly to regain a sense of equilibrium, he felt her push away slightly from where he was seated.

"I'm sorry Piccolo. I just keep doing stupid things around you and now I've probably just made it…"

"Just stop Chi-Chi. Am I angry with you? Am I leaving the room? Take a look around before you jump to some ridiculous idea. I honestly have no idea why you just did that, but I've come to the realization that with you, I have to be ready for the unexpected. Now, have you come to your senses? If I catch you doing something stupid again, you won't be able to sit for a week and you'll be under house arrest. Gohan will be more than willing to make sure you listen to reason, so don't think I'm not serious."

Satisfied when he saw her nod he head in acceptance of his terms he stood up from the old sofa and stretched his arms over his head before turning around to watch her. Her actions still made him nervous and uncomfortable, but it wasn't in a bad sort of way. It was just one more experience he was going to have to get used to as he continued his second journey through life. Making a decision, he was about to go and finish whatever ridiculous chores she had been about to undertake on her own when her voice stopped him yet again.

"Piccolo, about that night…"

Waving his arm in a dismissive gesture, he cut her off before she could make some blanket statement that could be either true or untrue.

"Just…it happened. I didn't leave because it offended me in any way, although I will admit, it was strange. I just had to…I just had to clarify things for myself and Gohan also played a significant part behind my decision to leave before you or he had woken up. But, in the long run, it was a foolish idea on my part because he ended up deciphering certain things on his own and you…Well, it seems my decision did more damage than good. I'm not good at this Chi-Chi, and perhaps I never will be."

Without delving deeper into his own psyche, he was relieved to see her move her head in understanding.

"Did you…talk to Gohan? Does he know?"

Curtly nodding his head yes, he could sense Chi-Chi's feelings, that an apparent weight had been lifted now that her son had an idea what was going on between the two of them.

"Look Chi-Chi, as I told you before, I'm not Goku. And this…this relationship that we apparently share, I've never been part of something like this. There are going to be times where I might just take off and leave, but it won't be like what Goku did to you. It's just that sometimes, I need time to myself where I can rebalance and rearrange things so that they make sense to me. I think that all Nameks are like that. This isn't something I've ever bothered to share with anyone else, so I hope you understand the significance behind it. So stop doing the thinking of others before you understand all of the facts. And I'll try…to be better at letting you in on some of the behaviors I engage in."

Taking in a deep breath, he felt slightly shaky and ill at ease. He had never opened up in such a manner to anyone, not even Gohan. Yet in the space of three days, it seemed he had told Chi-Chi more about the inner workings of his mind then he had ever intended. All because of his attachment towards her and her family. It wasn't easy, this acknowledgment of his developing and changing understanding of human emotions and how they fit into his life. But seeing how things were, he wondered if he went back in time to change it all, would he even be able to? Most likely, the answer would be no.

Turning around fully, he made his way to the door, opening it up and stepping out into the bitter cold of winter. Grabbing the bucket, he internally laughed at himself for becoming such a weakling as to water chickens for the insufferable woman. However, in the whole scheme of things, doing something so menial for someone else wasn't actually a bad thing. It just meant that he was changing and gaining wisdom along with his understanding of why he would make such sacrifices for the people he cared about. Accepting this facet, he trudged through the snow and picked up where Goku had left off.

_ Please let me know if I made Piccolo too OOC or romantical. As I said, this chapter was really hard to write and that's part of the reason why it took me a while to update. Anyway, I hope you like it and let me know what you think!_


	8. Beginnings

_Yes, it has been many months since my last update. I do apologize. At first, I thought the last chapter would be the last. But things just didn't seem to be resolved. So here is an epilogue of sorts, and it took quite a while to write. I have been job hunting and now, I am getting ready to move to another country. So that is my reason for being so tardy with this update. I hope you enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: All rights of Dragon Ball Z belong to Toriyama Akira._

_Chapter 8 – Beginnings_

Adjustments. Modifications. Alterations.

Piccolo absentmindedly listed a group of words that described that state of change that all walks of life went through periodically to adapt to the shifting environment around them. It happened all the time and he'd never given such natural occurrences much thought because they seemed so insignificant to him when there were so many bigger things happening that needed his involvement. The Saiyans. Frieza. Cell. Yet, without even realizing it, he too had adapted and evolved in order to survive. And now, very much apparent to his notice, he was once again adapting in ways that were completely foreign to him, yet rang with a resonance he couldn't ignore. Family. Belonging. Community. Love. Those things that at one point in his life, he had sneered at and pushed aside as being weak and paltry, were becoming a new focus and new direction for his life. And had he been paying attention, he would have realized that since his training of Gohan in the desert, those changes had also been working on him slowly but surely. He'd just been too blinded by his own selfish desires to fully recognize the truth. He did now, however, and for once, he welcomed such a change, even with all the bumps in the road and the annoyances of everyday life.

At the moment, he was sitting next to the lake where Goku had enjoyed taking Gohan for daily fishing and swimming trips, levitating about a foot off the ground as he tried to concentrate on meditating.

Currently, the warm spring sunshine was seeping through the foliage of the trees, and he felt comforted by the simple pleasure of warming himself in the growing sunlight. It had almost been a year since Goku had passed on to Otherworld, but instead of squashing down his own fears and uncertainties regarding the Android threat and then Cell as he had the previous year, he found himself embracing an existence that finally felt true to both sides of his nature as a Namekian.

Taking in a lungful of the clean, fresh smelling air, he slowly let it out and then pivoted his head towards the path that lead back to the Son household. Listening carefully, he could hear the sound of gravel and rocks being pushed out of the way as somebody slowly walked towards where he was meditating. In truth, he hadn't wanted to be interrupted, but he'd been discovering that if he really wanted a moment alone to just process the events and happenings of day to day life or to improve his connection with the world around him, it required flying to some remote location far and away from the place where Gohan had grown up. Still, not all interruptions were unwelcome.

"There you are."

Opening his eyes, he was welcomed to the sight of Chi-Chi standing in front of him. Gone were her heavy woolens and dowdy looking garments in dark, dreary looking colors she had worn all winter. Instead, she was wearing a pretty short sleeved pink dress with a pattern of cherry blossoms spread across the fabric, and her hair was loose, save for the sides, which was held back with a simple clip. She looked…younger and happier than she had when he had first started taking in an interest in her last summer.

He inclined his head towards her in greeting and then watched as she lowered herself to the ground, unbuckling the basket she had attached to her back. Taking out her precious cargo, he watched as she pulled her newest child to her lap and held on to him before she turned and looked at him, giving him a warm smile that he had become accustomed to. Well, except for the times when he would inadvertently do something that would upset her and she would yell at him, only to get an earful back.

"I'm not bothering you?"

He frowned slightly. If she thought she was going to be a bother, why would she have made the effort to bundle up the child and then take a walk with the intent of finding where he had gone off to be alone? Shaking his head slightly, there were still things he found odd about Chi-Chi and he doubted he would ever figure everything that there was to know about her out. She was much more complex than he had ever imagined, a far cry from the temperamental harpy he thought she had been without an ounce of common sense inside her female body. Instead, he was discovering that while she still could be a harridan, she used that front to hide her own insecurities about her abilities as a mother and as a friend to those she felt where important in her life. She had huge doubts about her worthiness for the affection of others, and while she had mostly recovered from Goku's death, he knew that she still struggled with the thought that her husband had abandoned her because he felt she was a burden and hadn't wanted the commitment of a family or a wife.

"If I'm bothering you, I can take Goten somewhere else. He just seemed restless…and I think he missed you. I mean, it's a guess. Who knows what a baby really thinks? I'll just…I'll just…" She trailed off and laughed nervously before giving him an uneasy smile.

"You're not a bother," he said, tensing his arms up before looking away towards the lake.

Without glancing at her, he could sense her sudden relief, though he was still unsure as to why she should be nervous around him. After all, if she wasn't used to his presence after spending the past year with him, then he assumed all of his efforts at his own attempt of understanding the way he felt for her in particular were for not. He supposed he could understand her uncertainty from time to time, as she had the tendency to become fragile in regards to relationships and the expansion of her own feelings beyond that of simply being a friend or a mother. Yet, it did irritate him to find out that she was still questioning and adjusting to things he felt he had made clear to her on more than one occasion since that day when he finally admitted his own growing attraction and need to be a part of her life as something beyond simple protector and provider.

"I suppose I've made you upset?"

Jerking his head backward slightly, he finally turned his face to peer at her as she bent over and sat Goten down on the sandy area of shoreline where they were currently sitting.

"Don't bother denying it. I…well, I guess I still have a problem with putting my foot in my mouth. I shouldn't be so nervous, but there's this part inside me that is afraid if I come across as too forward or too intrusive, you'll just disappear and I'll never see you again. Huh, it's funny, you know? I used to…"

She let out a wry chuckle before brushing a stray lock of hair that had blown forward from the light spring breeze.

"You used to what?"

Flopping her head in a lopsided manner, she grinned before answering his blatant question.

"I used to hate you. Well, hate's a pretty strong word. I _disliked _you. But you probably know all of that, seeing as I was never afraid to let my tongue loose. At least, I wasn't back then. Now, I don't know…you've been so good to me Piccolo. The last thing I want to do is offend you over something stupid. I never…I never felt that way around Goku because he just took it without really saying anything about the decisions I made. And in the end, he was gone so much, I guess it didn't really matter."

None of this was new to him. Still, he couldn't grasp in his mind why she was still hung up on how things had been between Goku and herself. And, he was beginning to readily admit to a growing sense of jealousy over a dead man, which was nothing short of ridiculous. It was just that coming to an understanding of his own feelings, while it had made his own inner turmoil dissipate, had led to another sort of awareness that made clear why Namekians had seemingly steered clear of the sort of relationships that humanity seemed to thrive upon. There was too much emotional frivolity involved that made wanting that sort of connection a walking liability. Yet, he had entered into the trap, at first not really knowing what he was doing to himself, and now the opposite seemed to be the case. He knew…and he still found himself drawn to partaking in daily life with Chi-Chi and all of the rocks that came along with it.

Listening to her concerns, he nodded slightly in understanding before closing his eyes. What could he say to ease her worries? Wasn't there a saying that actions spoke louder than words? So why was this still a struggle for her? It had never been in his nature to talk or express himself as humans had the tendency to do. Instead, he devoted the time spent on wasted words physically fulfilling the obligations he had towards those he cared for. It had been long since the time where she was incapable of doing the work that needed to be done around the house because of her pregnancy, seeing as Goten was close to five months old. Yet he still made it a point to do many of the day-to-day tasks that Goku had done when he had been around, which Chi-Chi had taken over during his many absences and after his death. He didn't have to, yet he chose to do so because he felt it showed and proved his commitment towards her, Gohan, and now Goten.

"You talk too much. And you worry too much. You know me better than most, so you should realize that if I felt you were a burden or I suddenly decided you weren't worth the effort, I would have made those sentiments clear. Never doubt my…feelings towards you."

"I don't doubt them."

Opening his eyes again, he watched as she gathered her arms around her knees and gazed out across the glassy surface of the lake. She could say that she didn't doubt his feelings or affections, yet she could question him about their validity or worry about her own self-worth on the same breath. It was the one thing in the last few months since Goten's birth that had become a sticking point with him, because there was no way that he could seemingly reassure her, and he felt ill suited to do such a thing in the first place. In the end, it was a question of what she truly wanted, alongside his jealousy over Goku's memory, that was causing a new found feeling of resentment creeping into whatever heart he had. Why couldn't things be simple?

Grumbling under his breath, he stood up suddenly, flipping his cape over his shoulder. Making an about face, he glanced down at Chi-Chi, who started to rise the moment he got to his feet.

"Wh…where are you going Piccolo?"

"To spar with Gohan. He's in his room?"

She nodded, looking slightly puzzled by his sudden desire to leave when moments before, he had said that she wasn't bothering him. Inwardly, he wanted to take off his turban and shred it in frustration, especially after giving Chi-Chi a conflicting message. However, giving in to such a frivolous desire was not in his make up, and the only way to help alleviate some of his irritation would be a healthy fight with Gohan. If anything could help him clear his mind, having to focus on survival without being interrupted unnecessarily would do the trick.

Taking a sidelong glance at Chi-Chi to make sure she had Goten back in his basket and secured tightly to her, he started on the path towards the small house that had inadvertently become a focal point in his life. They each walked in silence, both lost in thoughts that neither had the courage to decipher. Soon enough, they were at the front door of the cottage.

Stepping to the side, Piccolo let Chi-Chi pass him as she went to the door, swinging it widely open before stepping into the unlit interior. Striding behind her, he closed the door and observed as she once again took Goten out of the basket and put him in the middle of a the rug on the small living room floor. The boy seemed to be happy to be out of the confines of the carrier, as he cooed and giggled while rolling over onto his back, batting at imaginary shadows that only he seemed to be able to see.

Marching smartly to the bottom of the stairs, Chi-Chi crossed her arms underneath her ample bosom, tapping her fingers slightly against her bare arms before shouting up the stairs.

"Gohan! Piccolo's here and wants to spar. As long as you finish whatever work you have left when you get back, you can go."

That was all it took. In less than a second, Piccolo observed with slight amusement as the door to Gohan's bedroom door burst open, revealing the boy in his purple gi, identical to the one he was currently wearing. Without a word, he bounded down the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of his mother, who was wearing a deep frown.

"That didn't take long at all. When I go up to check on your schoolwork, you better have made decent progress or you won't get to spar with Piccolo for a week straight. Isn't that right, Piccolo?"

It was at times like this that he didn't like having such a prominent role in the Son household. In truth, while he knew that Gohan's studies were important, he did feel that Chi-Chi was too domineering when it came to how Gohan spent his time. The boy was half Saiyan, and while fighting wasn't something he thrived upon, he did need a healthy dose of exercise, especially since he was growing and maturing and his body required it. Normally, he had no qualms with telling Chi-Chi when he felt she was going overboard. In this instance, however, he had no desire to get into an argument that had been around well before he became involved in Gohan or Chi-Chi's life. Inwardly, he cringed at his own apparent cowardess, but since he was already frustrated with how the day was progressing, he only nodded his head in agreement before heading silently back towards the outside door.

As he waited, Chi-Chi went into the kitchen and came back with a sack that most likely contained food for Gohan. Giving her son a hug and kiss against his protestations, the boy escaped and bounded towards where he was standing.

"Let's go."

"Sure thing!"

Without another word to each other, both he and Gohan left, waving at Chi-Chi as they exited and made their way back outside into the bright spring sunshine.

* * *

Neither Piccolo nor Gohan paid any attention to how many hours they were out underneath the sun. They continued sparring until exhaustion took hold. When Gohan almost managed to knee him in the head, Piccolo called a time out. Maneuvering over to a rocky outcropping, he settled himself down and took in a deep breath before wiping away some of the sweat on his face and neck.

"Man Piccolo, we've been out here for ages. Mom's going to kill us when we get back."

He smirked at the boy, his fangs glinting in the deepening afternoon light. It pleased him to now be included into whatever imaginary punishment the boy had in his head that Chi-Chi would be sure to administer once they got back to the house. It meant that Gohan had gotten over whatever fears or concerns he had in regards to the relationship he himself had developed with Chi-Chi. In fact, after the confrontation they had prior to Goten's birth, things had smoothed out rather easily, and the current relationship he shared with Gohan had grown much stronger. They…understood one another. He wished he could say the same thing about Chi-Chi.

Taking in a deep breath, he moved over slightly on the rock outcropping, making room for Gohan to settle in next to him as he opened up the bag of food Chi-Chi had prepared. They both sat quietly, letting their bodies recuperate from the beating they had given each other. After a few minutes, Gohan was finished eating.

"So…did you have a nice time by the lake this morning? Mom was looking forward to going for a walk. The weather's been pretty nice, but I think it was because she knew you'd be out there. I was just kind of surprised you both got back so quickly. She was only gone for about half hour when you both showed up. Did something happen?"

As usual, Gohan's perceptiveness was no surprise to Piccolo, and as usual, he seemed to have a better understanding of the situation. Motioning his head in the negative, his mind picked over the situation and for once, he considered asking Gohan for his opinion, even though it went against his pride. He had discovered over the years that often times, when he had difficulty understanding human emotions and motivations, Gohan could readily relate those ideas into terms he could understand. The only problem was humbling himself enough to ask.

Deciding to bite the bullet, he cleared his throat, alerting Gohan to the possibility of having a conversation.

"Why does she doubt me? What do I have to do to prove myself to her?"

It was embarrassing, asking these fundamental questions to a boy barely over the age of twelve years, yet he needed to know for his own piece of mind. He couldn't stand the feeling of inadequacy and resentment that had started to make him doubt his place in Chi-Chi's life. And since these feelings and behaviors were relatively new to him, it made her comments and insecurities seem to hold a veiled meaning. That he was not enough. That he could never be what she wanted him to be.

Glancing sideways, it appeared Gohan had not been prepared for such a question coming from his teacher, mentor, and friend. His mouth hung open slightly before he closed it with an audible click. Shaking his head as though he couldn't comprehend such an unlikely question coming from Piccolo, he put his hand up and then opened his mouth to speak.

"Whoa! Wha…what? You think my mom doubts you? Were would you get an idea like that? Piccolo, she…she loves you! I mean, you know, like as more then a friend. Ever since…ever since dad died, you've been like this constant protector towards her and she appreciates that more then I think you'll ever know. Maybe she comes across as hesitant to you, but it's just because she's still getting used to the fact that there's somebody who really wants to take care of her and make sure she's doing well. I think maybe she's afraid that it's sort of like a dream, and one day you'll just wake up and realize that she can be annoying and overbearing and you'll leave. But deep down, I know she realizes that you won't do something like that because you've known her since way before dad went away, so you know all the good _and _the bad."

He had thought that himself, but after having her continue to act as though she was inconveniencing him, it went against his pride as a man and as a provider. Just as she loved him, he returned the sentiment. True, he supposed he wasn't what a typical love interest would be in human society. However, he wasn't human and so he had assumed that Chi-Chi would understand that, and everything that came with such an unusual relationship.

"Piccolo…if you're worried, why don't you try talking to her about it? I bet she doesn't even realize how she's coming across to you, or that she's doing anything that makes you wonder about what's really going on. I mean, you _are_ telepathic after all, and it would make sense that you would pick up on signals that she wouldn't even be aware of giving off. It wouldn't hurt, ya know?"

Hmph…Talk to her? How many times had he already let go of some of his pride and done exactly that? True, in the months since Goten's birth, he hadn't discussed his reservations, concerns, or latent jealousy with her because he hadn't felt it was something that needed to be discussed. He had just assumed that he would continue in the role he had filled before the child had been born and things would iron themselves out. On the surface, things had seemed to move in a positive direction. But appearances could be deceiving and there were problems between the two of them that needed to be sorted through. It didn't help that he wasn't what one would call a gifted communicator. He simply said what needed to be said in as few words as possible, and most times, he didn't bother with talking at all. It was wasteful. However, finding himself in a relationship with a woman was complicating his relatively simple and quiet life.

He knew that Gohan could sense his reservations about the advice he had just been given. It didn't slip past his notice that the boy's shoulders visibly slumped when he made no response on whether or not he agreed with such advice in the first place. Deciding to avoid any potential misunderstandings or conflict, Piccolo slowly rose to his feet and then stood, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked out over the expanse of land lying at their feet.

"Let's head back."

With that simple phrase uttered, he observed Gohan as he packed up the remains of his snack in the simple cloth sack Chi-Chi had given him, dusting off his dirty gi before waiting for him to give the signal to leave for home. Nodding his head when the boy was ready, he used his ki and leapt into the sky, slicing through the air like an arrow as they both headed back to the little cottage located on Mount Pazou.

Within a few minutes, both Piccolo and Gohan veered towards the cottage that suddenly loomed within sight. Touching down on the soft, springy grass, Gohan ran up the path to the front door and went inside, no doubt thinking of placating his mother over what he considered to be excessive tardiness. However, his actions proved to be unnecessary as she wasn't within in the confines of the house.

Although it was spring, and there was an over abundance of noise compared to the relative silence that winter afforded, Piccolo could easily pick up the humming coming from the other side of the building. Slowly stepping around the house, he slid up against a wall and watched as Chi-Chi knelt in the dark earth, pulling up weeds around the flowers that had come up to great the change of seasons. He noted that Goten was lying underneath a makeshift tent close to where his mother was lovingly working with the fruits of her labor.

Truthfully, watching her work free of the worries and concerns she had dealt with the previous year was a refreshing sight. And, if he were honest with himself, he enjoyed the view, although he would never admit to that. The attraction business still caught him off guard most of the time, but it was just one more thing he was adjusting to, and wondering about why he should have such thoughts about a human female in the first place had never gotten him anywhere. So he just placed such acknowledgements in a safe box within his mind to think about and digest later, when he had the time to compose himself and process his shifting thoughts.

She continued to work in the garden for close to a half an hour, oblivious to his presence as he observed her progress. It wasn't until Goten started to fuss underneath the canopy she had set up for him before she snapped out of her reverie. Pushing off her knees, she stood up and brushed some of her hair out of her face, leaving a dirt smudge across her forehead from her filthy gardening gloves. Taking a slight step over to where Goten was now screaming unhappily, she took off her gloves and tossed them to the ground before bending over to pick up the unhappy child. It was at that moment when she caught a glimpse of his form, her eyes widening slightly in surprise before her mouth turned upwards at the corners in a pleased smile.

Cooing softly to the baby, calming him down until his sobbing was nothing more than a few wet hiccups, she started to walk towards were he was standing up against the house. Upon reaching him, Chi-Chi shifted Goten to the side and did something that was unexpected and for which he was not prepared. Leaning up against him, she stood on her tiptoes and gently brushed her lips against the underside of his jaw in greeting, something she rarely did. And, because he wasn't ready for such a move on her part, and he rarely was when she decided to attack him with human romantic acts, he blushed unconsciously. Deciding to make nothing of the moment at hand, lest he embarrass himself or anger her in his stupidity when it came to games of attraction and affection, he waited for her to push away from his body. Thankfully, his reaction only seemed to please her for whatever reason and she smiled pleasantly, waiting for him to say or do something. When nothing happened, she spoke up.

"Did you work out whatever kinks that were in your system with Gohan? You were both gone for a while, even for the two of you. I don't really mind, as long as you're happy and he's upstairs studying."

Drawing his brows down in confusion, that wasn't the reaction he was expecting to receive. He, just like Gohan, had assumed that she would angrily attack him for taking up her son's precious studying time with sparring. Nor did he expect her to have deduced that his sudden need for sparring had served exactly the purpose for which she had stated. Puzzled by her lack of anger and her deep understanding, he let out an inaudible sigh, realizing that since coming to spend so much time within the Son household, it would only make sense that Chi-Chi would eventually come to understand his patterns of behavior, even if he had never made a point to explain them to her, beyond some of his initial divulgences.

Clearing his mind of the thoughts spinning here and there, he glanced down at Chi-Chi, realizing she was still waiting for an answer from him. Grunting a non-committal sound, he was relieved when she nodded her head and then stepped around him, heading towards the front of the house. Following her lead, he found himself once again within the cool interior of the cottage that had become like a second home to him.

"Umm, Piccolo? You can sit if you'd like. I've got to feed Goten and then I'll be right back."

He noticed the slight flush of her cheeks and inwardly rolled his eyes at her sudden bashfulness, when she'd all but attacked his jaw with her mouth. Actually, he supposed he was exaggerating the last part, but having merged with Kami, he was quite aware of how human females fed their offspring, so he saw no need for her to act as though his knowledge of her baring her breasts for her child was something offensive or repulsive. It was…natural, in its own strange sort of way. Thankfully, he did not have to witness it.

She slowly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, leaving him alone in the living room. He knew better than to interrupt Gohan's studies, and he also knew better than to simply leave the house while Chi-Chi took care of her son in the way that only a mother could. So, with nothing else to do, he stalked around to the old sofa and sat down, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as he tried to meditate while he waited for Chi-Chi to come back downstairs.

The time alone afforded him the chance to go over his concerns and the advice Gohan had given him after their spar. In most cases, he was beginning to feel inadequate for the relationship he found himself in. It was true that deep down within himself, he felt that his actions should have shown over and over again how much he wished to make Chi-Chi happy, in his own way. Yet, his own natural reserve and quiet contemplation was so opposite of Goku's naturally boisterous and curious nature, he pondered if his lack of spontaneity and verbal acknowledgements were what was leaving Chi-Chi so insecure about his…affections, for lack of a better word. Nevertheless, she _had_ told him that she wasn't looking for the relationship she had shared with her late husband. Lately, however, he was beginning to wonder and he knew that if her mind had changed, he was not the right sort of man for her, and that hurt more than it should have.

However, he would never find out if he didn't let go of a portion of his pride and ask her why she sometimes seemed so nervous or unsure around him. Perhaps…perhaps there was something going on that had nothing to do with the reasons why he felt she was insecure and he was going about it in all the wrong way. It was…frustrating.

Caught up in his musings, he was unaware that Chi-Chi had come back downstairs. It wasn't until she nudged his knee with her leg that he was brought back to awareness. Snapping his eyes open, he controlled his reaction to jerk away from the source of the touch, relaxing when he saw it was only Chi-Chi trying to get his attention.

"You should be more careful. It isn't wise to sneak up on people."

She merely laughed at his statement, earning a frown in return.

"Come on Piccolo! Don't be so dour. You'll chase the sunshine away with that grumpy looking face of yours. Besides, you're usually so tuned in to your surroundings; I figured you knew it was me."

With that said, she leaned down so that her warm brown eyes where looking directly into his equally dark ones. They were so open and candid; it was easy to forget his earlier distress. Without realizing it, he started to relax and his own lips began to part in a slight imitation of her cheerful smile, so different than the way she had been earlier in the morning.

"That's better. You know, you're…you're really quite handsome when you don't wear an expression on your face that says you'd like nothing more than to chew through a bucket of nails."

Watching her straighten up abruptly, he didn't miss the fact that she was embarrassed over telling him she thought he was pleasant to look at. In fact, it was the first time that she had ever told him such a thing. He couldn't say that he'd ever cared one way or the other if people found him pleasing to look at. Things such as looks mattered little to a warrior, yet he could feel a warm sensation forming in the pit of his stomach that only seemed to happen whenever he was alone with Chi-Chi and their conversations had nothing to do with day to day life. Such was the case at this moment. He was pleased that she found his outward appearance adequate, yet he knew that that wasn't what had drawn her to him in the first place. Apparently, this was a recent development.

He was still adjusting to her confession when he felt her grab his hand in order to pull him to his feet. Following her lead, he stood up, dwarfing her against his height. Looking down slightly, he caught her peering at him with a pensive look.

"Piccolo, let's go outside and…and take a walk. Goten's napping and I, um, already told Gohan you and I were going out for a bit. I hope you don't mind?"

Again, it was back to her insecurity. It baffled him how she could move from being comfortable to suddenly being unsure in the space of a millisecond. He wanted to tell her that if she thought he would find it a problem, then she shouldn't have made arrangements without consulting him first. However, he knew that would offend her and quite frankly, he wasn't up to dealing with an upset female. Besides, the point was moot as he _wanted_ to spend time with her. Nodding his head in agreement with her scheme, he noted the relief in her eyes before she turned around and headed towards the door. Crossing his arms, he walked outside behind her and followed as she started down the path that led to a glen behind the house.

Eventually, he found himself side by side with her as they made their way out into the late afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees they walked underneath. It was quiet…it was peaceful and he felt content.

Finally, Chi-Chi stopped when the path led to an open expanse of grass next to the stream, which fed the lake that Gohan enjoyed swimming in and where he enjoyed meditating. He wasn't surprised when she smoothed out her skirt and knelt down in a sitting position on the sun-kissed grass, nor was he surprised when she motioned for him to do the same. Humoring her, he did as she asked, lowering himself to the warm earth.

"It's such perfect day today, don't you think?"

He nodded his head, though in his opinion, each day had its own set amount of perfection. However, it was the first day in probably close to two weeks where the sky wasn't overcast and the weather rainy or cold. Still, the conversational topic was an unusually bland one for Chi-Chi, who, as he had noted on many occasions, wasn't above talking about any number of things as long as she felt someone was listening to her. It was as though she wanted to talk about something, but was unsure how to go about doing so, and thus, the neutral topic of weather had been brought into the equation.

"Piccolo?"

Snapping back to attention, he grunted an acknowledgement of his name and glanced towards her. He observed as she unconsciously picked at her skirt, fiddling with the cloth in her hands before smoothing it back over her knees. This only heightened the sense of discomfort that she was emitting. It took a certain amount of restraint to not yell out 'What?' in exasperation.

"Piccolo…are you happy here?"

It took a great deal of self restraint not to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. Was he happy? It was an utterly female thing to say. Certainly, he wasn't unhappy, but could he honestly reply that he was the opposite? There were very few times in his life that he could actually recall feeling joy over something, and those few times were far apart from one another. He had a hunch, though, that Chi-Chi wasn't asking him so much if he were happy as she was asking whether or not he felt burdened by his undertaking to watch out for her, Goten, and Gohan in Goku's place. The entire situation was ridiculous because she had to know the truth, and he couldn't understand why she was worrying over something that he felt was insignificant.

"Piccolo?"

"What?" he asked testily, noting Chi-Chi's slightly perturbed expression in regards to his tone of voice.

"Are you?"

Letting out a deep sigh, he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to think of an adequate response, one that wasn't cross or exasperated.

"I'm content."

"But you aren't happy?"

"What is your definition of happiness? If you expect me to walk around smiling and chasing after stupid butterflies, then you're wasting your time. I'm not…"

He stopped before uttering the last word, lest he injure his pride more than he already had by losing his temper. Apparently, Chi-Chi understood the gist of his meaning, nor had she missed his snappish tone of voice because she stopped picking at her dress and started to rise.

"I…I see."

Thoroughly irritated with himself and with her, he impulsively grabbed her arm and yanked her body down next to his so that she was leaning against him. This kept her from running away from the uneasy and uncomfortable atmosphere they found themselves in.

"No, Chi-Chi, you don't see. I don't understand why you have this doubt within yourself, or why you've started worrying about things that make little sense to me. Am I happy? Who, on this planet, is ever in a perpetual state of bliss? Even Son, who proved himself to be an overstated optimist most of the time, had moments of negativity or self-doubt. In my opinion, only idiots are happy one hundred percent of the time and I believe that most of human kind has done itself a disservice by asserting that only happy people are normal. So the question remains: what is it you want from me? What is it that I am doing wrong which is causing this…this anxiety around you?"

Closing his lips tightly together after uttering such a lengthy speech, he waited patiently for her answer. After a few moments, he felt her body shift away from his, leaving him suddenly devoid of the warmth that had been emanating from her skin.

"You aren't…you aren't doing anything wrong."

Setting up on her knees, she slowly pushed back a piece of hair that had fallen away from one of her hair clips, slipping it behind her ear. Warily, he waited to see what she would do and was surprised when she extended her arm out and lightly touched the side of his cheek with the tips of her fingers. Automatically, he schooled his face into a blank expression, lest he give away his own swirling emotions. Slowly, she removed her hand and placed it in her lap, blinking at him as though she was trying to puzzle something out.

"It's…I love you Piccolo. I'm sure you know that. And I see how much you do everyday, how much you've started to fill in Goku's shoes. But…will it last? It isn't that I doubt you. I'm just afraid that the more time you spend with me, the more you'll begin to feel chained down. I never really thought about any of this until I found out that Goku insisted on not being wished back. At first, I thought how dare he just leave Gohan and me behind? How dare he turn his back on us, even though I knew he thought it was for the greater good. I thought, he knew his own son was stronger than himself and what right did he have to run away from his responsibilities and leave them to an eleven year old boy? And then…I started to think that maybe he left because of me. Because I treated him like a child. Because I was cross with him. Because I fought against his training of Gohan and because it angered me every time he'd take off on me without so much as an explanation. I loved Goku, I truly did. But he was exasperating and difficult to deal with. Yet, I realize that I can be the exact same way. So how can you make such a commitment? I don't want you to hate me Piccolo or feel you have to be tied to a woman such as myself."

There was an awkward pause and he tried to piece together her feelings of inadequacy. Here he had been wondering if her sudden uneasiness around him had to do with how he compared to Goku. Instead, while Goku seemed to be a focal point, it had to do with her own lack of self-esteem and her assumption and belief that Goku had left because of her behavior and her attitudes. While it was true that at one point, many months ago, he had thought something similar along those lines, since getting to know Chi-Chi, since becoming part of her intimate circle of acquaintances, he knew that her fears were unfounded. It was her devotion to her family and her inner strength that caused her to sometimes behave in an overly forceful manner. He understood this about her, and he loved her because of it. And he was sure that Goku had felt the same way, thought he was by no means going to sit and try to understand the moron's inner feelings in regards to the woman he had married.

"There's nothing wrong with you. I have made a choice. Caring for someone…it isn't about being happy all the time. It's about making a commitment to somebody, no matter how many times you may disagree or become frustrated or angry with each other. Look, I'm no expert when it comes to human emotions. Just realize that I don't feel trapped in the least. I don't feel 'tied down,' as you put it. If that were the case, I would have left long ago and you would have known exactly where you stood in regards to me. So stop analyzing this…this situation. Believe in yourself. Son didn't leave because of anything you did. He made his choice, and although we may never understand his reasoning, I'm sure he wouldn't have left had he felt you couldn't be a good mother to his children. Don't think that I'm saying what he did was right. I'm just trying to emphasize a point and that point is you think too much when things are more than obvious. Would it hurt to try to…to rely on me instead of worrying that I'm going to end up despising you because of it?"

She nodded her head slowly in response. Taking that as an affirmative, Piccolo nodded and crossed his arms.

"Good."

End of discussion. Gradually, he lowered his guard and relaxed, enjoying for the first time since they had walked out to this particular spot the beauty around him. He'd been out to this place probably hundreds of times, but there was something special about sitting in the shade with a person who had opened her heart to him.

It didn't even bother him when she scooted over next to him and put her arm around the small of his back, leaning her head against his shoulder. Instead, that particular warm feeling he sometimes felt around Chi-Chi started to penetrate his interior and a sense of contentment washed over him.

He had made a commitment to her and he meant to fulfill it, no matter how frustrating things could get between the two of them. He realized, as he was sure Chi-Chi did, that this was just the beginning of a new adventure, he supposed. While he had never imagined himself in such a situation, it felt right. He…loved her, and she loved him. There was a bond between them that spoke louder than words ever could, and whatever problem might appear on the horizon, they would work through it. Together. As one. Apparently, that was all he had ever wanted.

_This is the end. Although a few of you have expressed curiosity at Piccolo's and Chi-Chi's developing relationship, I confess that I wouldn't really know how to write such a story between the two of them, and it would have to be as a sequel to this one. I hope this ending did the story justice. Thanks so much for all of the terrific reviews I received, which was the highlight of writing this. I have never received such lengthy and detailed reviews for anything I have written, and each one I received felt like a precious gift. I will admit to missing that! If you would like to review this one, you are more then welcome to!_


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